Handprint in My Heart
by Maresia Eterna
Summary: /COMPLETE/ She betrayed us. "Inoue, next time, I will definitely protect you.” Those words were what gave her courage as she stood in the middle of that big and silent dark room. Ichigo x Orihime. /The sequel The Roar of Chains is up!/
1. Through Glass

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

**Title:** Handprint in My Heart

**Rating:** T

**Genres:** Romance, Drama, Friendship, Angst, Humour

**Warnings:** Language

**Main** **Pairing:** Ichigo/Orihime

**Timeline of this Fic:** This fic starts _after_ the _Hueco Mundo Arc, _and _before _the _Winter War Arc_. This means that there were _**will**_ be _spoilers_.

**Summary:** "What are you doing here?" he inquired, but she kept a blank expression as she answered him. "I'm here because I was chosen to be the one who will observe and help judging Inoue Orihime."

**Authoress' Note:** Okay, this is my **first** _Bleach_ fic_._ I warn you there's going to be drama, romance and humour, which is basically what you can expect since this is _Bleach_ we're talking about. Also, the main pairing here will be _Ichihime_; I tend to believe that most people look down at Orihime because of her bubbly personality, but to be honest, I think she's a far more complex character than what meets the eye. Also, I think that Orihime and Ichigo are opposites, and yet they shared experiences that can draw them together, and help them to understand each other. _However, _I'm not really a fan of making characters fall for each other by making them suffer some sort of an epiphany; therefore, don't expect characters to fall for each other overnight, ok? I also want to apologize for the errors you'll find; since **English** is my _**second**_ language, it's rather hard for me to correct the mistakes that I leave on every page before posting the new chapter.

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**Handprint in My Heart**

**Chapter 1**

_Through Glass_

Frozen tears were cascading from the dark-grey heavens above. Their path towards the earth was excruciatingly slow, making all the white tears seem as if they were waltzing among each others in one last celebration before succumbing to their destiny. Regrettably their dance was ignored by most people, who, in their rush to step inside some warm place, seemed oblivious of the performance that nature was revealing to them.

But not all people were that insensible. In fact, a pair of stormy-grey eyes, as dark as the clouds above, was watching as the dance of those frozen tears continued. A pair of hands was wrapped around a white cup, filled with hot cocoa; the steam that progressively left the cup continuously caressing the girl's cold cheeks.

Snowdrops... Yes, the snowflakes definitely reminded her of snowdrops, with their crestfallen white petals, delicate as snowflakes, beautiful as the pallid ballet she was witnessing.

She loved rain, but there was something in the snow that was magical. When she was little, she would spend hours making little snowmen with the form of animals. She would play around in the snow as she waited for her brother to return from work, and she could remember vividly an evening during which she had done a small bunny with snow, and used two brown leaves as its ears.

The corner of her lips twitched into a bittersweet smile as flashes of that evening crossed her mind, but she quickly shook her head. She hated when that happened because she disliked missing the dance of the snow; especially when she had prepared everything just to be able to watch that show with no interruptions. A blanket was covering her legs, protecting her from the cold, both her hands still holding the hot cup, continuously warming her fingers up.

There was, however, something different about that snowfall. The unhurried dance of the snowflakes was so hypnotizing that she found it impossible not to think about one thing that she had finally decided to accept.

Just like it was almost painful to watch how perfect nature was when in comparison with human beings, it was also agonizing for her to finally recognize that she had been fooling herself all that time. She had tried so hard to be strong; to finally be the one who protected others, to take care of the _Hougyoku_ by herself, but…

_I…will become stronger. I'm getting stronger. Next time, I will definitely…protect you._

_Sorry. Are you scared? I suppose telling you to be at ease in this shape would be a bit difficult… But…please, allow me to say it. Be at ease. Because… I'm going to end this as soon as possible._

…At the end she was always the one who needed to be protected. She was always the one who needed someone to come to her, and force her to face reality as it truly was. Someone like Nel…

"_Ichigo ith fighting for your thake! And yet it theemth like you're thill thcared of him! Didn't you say it before?! Ichigo ith a kind perthon! You're right! I believe you too! That kind Ichigo…! Dove towarth Ulquiorra after hearing him thay your name! Ichigo ith a human! And yet he became a Thinigami, and put on a mathk and uthed this ridiculouth power! There'th no way he ithn't thuffering too! Of course he ith! But Ichigo ith uthing that power…for you…he'th fighting in his blood-thplattered body all for you! If…If you don't cheer him on…then what'th gonna happen to him?!_

…And it had been then that she had understood how everything would end.

Without looking away from the snowflakes, Orihime raised the cup to her lips, and took a sip, feeling the warm liquid run down her throat. Aside from her reminiscing, there was also something else that was bothering her. Every since they had returned from Las Noches that Urahara Kisuke had been complaining about how Abarai Renji was practically trying to kill himself by training way too hard in the basement. Not only that, but Urahara had also been trying to convince Rukia to talk to Renji, to see if she could knock some sense in his head, while Rukia was too busy helping Ichigo with Hollows.

Even Sado was quite busy, also spending most of his time with Renji, training, while Uryū always disappeared after classes. For Orihime it was quite obvious though; all of them were doing their best to become stronger and powerful. All but her…

Gently Orihime lowered the cup, and rested it against her knees while she continued to hold it with both her hands. She had tried to improve her attack, and when nights were warmer she would usually go to her secret place, and practice, but now nights were so bitter that it was impossible to go out and Orihime knew she could not practice at home.

All she could do was to be present whenever someone needed their injuries to be healed. She guessed that was what she was best at; healing people, while they continuously risked their lives in battles.

And once again, Orihime questioned herself about why on earth she had been blessed with a power that did not allow her to help her friends in a fight. Once again, Orihime questioned herself about why her friends had gone through the trouble of saving her, when at the end she had been unable to conclude what she had convinced herself to do…

Unexpectedly the phone started ringing, and Orihime yelped when she almost let go of the cup in fright. After a relieved sigh, the girl quickly put the cup on the floor before pushing the blanket off her, and with quick steps she walked towards the phone.

"H-Hello?" Orihime asked after pressing the phone against her ear, her heart beating painfully against her chest. All of her misery diminished, however, as soon as a familiar voice answered her, "Oh, hello Tatsuki-chan!"

* * *

Urahara Kisuke was sitting on his small living room, cookies and tea in front of him while snow continued falling outside. Across from him, eating her snack enthusiastically as ever, was Shihouin Yoruichi. Ururu, Jinta and Tessai were in the basement, watching over Renji and Sado, making sure they did not die during their training. And since things were quite quiet in his shop, Urahara guessed that Ririn, Cloud and Nova where downstairs as well.

"Kisuke," Yoruichi called suddenly after taking a long sip of her milk, but the said man continued looking down, holding his fan with his right hand while his white and green hat covered his eyes. "What's troubling you?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing, just thinking about going to watch the snowflakes," Urahara answered as he opened his fan, a smile returning to his face, but Yoruichi simply continued staring at him, not convinced. "Oh fine, as always you're correct, Yoruichi-san. I'm just thinking about the guests we have today."

"You mean, the poor kids you decided to adopt for being unable to say 'no'." Yoruichi corrected, and Urahara sighed before nodding, and the woman raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"

"Nothing extraordinaire, but…" Urahara hold his fan over his lips, and proceeded. "There's a freeloader who's trying to kill himself as he trains, and a girl who's trying to kill the freeloader since she knows he's exaggerating. There's another guy who has an attitude problem, and a hyper girl who's all depressed. I guess what I'm saying is that…I need vacations."

"You're thinking about leaving the shop?" Yoruichi questioned, still with an eyebrow raised, and Urahara immediately started laughing at same time he shook his head.

"Heavens, of course I'm not going to leave the shop, Yoruichi-san!" he answered, the fan still covering his mouth. "I was merely stating that I need some vacations. Ever since Kurosaki-san and the others returned from Las Noches that things have become quite chaotic around here. But I guess that there's no way I can have some vacations now, especially since Aizen is still on the loose."

"And let's not forget Inoue." Yoruichi pointed out as she grabbed her glass of milk, but then she sighed. "I still don't know what General Yamamoto may be thinking, but truth is that it's not that hard to figure out what he may be planning."

"Ah Yoruichi-san, you should have some faith in me." Urahara started before lowering his fan, revealing his wide smile, and Yoruichi raised an eyebrow slightly once more, "General Yamamoto will try to find out if Orihime-san is a traitor or not, but there are…other ways of showing on which side she truly is."

"Oh, I have faith in you, but…" Yoruichi took another sip of her drink, her eyes never leaving Urahara's shadowed ones. "For some reason, my instinct is telling me that some crazy idea of yours is coming this way. So, stop with the suspense, and tell me."

"What makes you think I've already planned everything out?" Urahara questioned, but Yoruichi simply gazed at him before raising her glass to her lips again, "Oh, very well. It's quite simple, actually; I'm just going to contact the Bleach Bar."

At that, Yoruichi chocked, and Urahara laughed.

**To Be Continued**

**Authoress Note: **The first chapters are rather short in length, but they will grow bigger in time. Also, if you get confused with something, remember that things will be explained as the plot develops. If you have any doubts feel free to ask, though; I promise I'll do my best to answer them all.


	2. Scorched Tears

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

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You know, although this is not important, I forgot to mention the detail about this story being finished, and that therefore the updates will come out rather quickly. However, I'd like to ask all of you to tell me if you think I should change something as the story develops. I am also thinking about writing an epilogue, but I'm still not sure about it. I guess only time will tell. Ah! I want to thank to all those who read the first chapter. I really hope you'll give time for the plot to develop, and I promise I'll do my best not to disappoint you.

Thank you for your attention.

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**Chapter 2**

_Scorched Tears_

As the teacher continued reading a passage from a book, Kurosaki Ichigo took the chance to glance at the petite girl, who was sitting next to him. Like him, she was also too lost in her own thoughts to actually pay attention to what the teacher was reading. He guessed she was either worried about Renji or about what could be going on in Seireitei, since now everybody was busy trying to figure out what to do since Aizen had escaped once again.

As he recalled the former _shinigami_ Captain of the 5th Division, Ichigo closed his right hand into a tight fist. Slowly, he looked away from Rukia, who was still staring blankly at the book in front of her, to glance at Orihime, who was sitting on his left, on the row behind him. Not surprisingly, the orange haired girl was staring through the window next to her, completely oblivious of what was going on around her.

Ever since they had rescued her from Las Noches, Orihime had been behaving more quietly than usual. Sure she still had those sudden mood-swings of hers, during which she would cheer everyone up with her bright smile, or make everybody sweatdrop at her antics every time she came up with a peculiar idea, but…

…It was not the same.

For Ichigo, every time she smiled to please the others, was just another time she would prefer to use to cry. Every time she tried to make others laugh with her original ideas, for Ichigo, it was simply another time she would rather stay in a corner all by herself.

Besides, no one had been present, aside from Nel and himself, when Orihime had first refused to return to the real world with them. Ichigo never truly understood why, but he could still remember Orihime saying that she would not leave until she had completed her mission.

However, Orihime had never explained what her mission was. But then again, even if she had, it was not as if Ichigo would have allowed her to stay behind after everything everyone had gone through to rescue her. And so, after throwing her one second time over his shoulder, and as he ignored her pleads for him to leave her in Las Noches, Ichigo had brought Orihime back to the real world.

He had brought her back to the place where she belonged.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, do you mind continue reading?" the teacher asked suddenly, and the said boy snapped from his thoughts only to see the teacher staring sternly at him. Embarrassedly, Ichigo looked down at his book, and was about to turn the page when he heard Rukia mumble '68, 3' which basically meant page sixty-eight, paragraph three. And so, without wasting any time, Ichigo grabbed his book, and started reading.

After two agonizing hours, Japanese Literature finally came to an end, and Ichigo gladly threw his book inside his bag. Thanks to Rukia he had managed to avoid a lecture that he would have certainly despised to hear.

"Ichigoooo!" a voice shouted suddenly, and the said boy sighed when Asano Keigo appeared from behind him, arms wide open. "Say, what do you say about us going to drink something warm in that new place that opened up last week? I heard they have a hot chocolate that's to die for!"

"Ah yes, I've heard about it as well." Kojima Mizuiro started as he appeared from behind Keigo, staring at his cell-phone. "I heard that it's quite famous among the students from this school."

"See? It's shameful that I haven't been there yet!" Keigo exclaimed before turning to Ichigo, who was now standing up from his chair. "Say, Ichigo, lets' go there, and see if it's as good as it sounds!"

"Sorry, not today." Ichigo replied not bothering to be polite, and Keigo's mouth dropped in shock and horror. "I'm going home."

"Ah! What's wrong with you? You stood weeks away from school, and now that you're back, you don't even want to go out with your friends?" Keigo whined before turning to Mizuiro, tears streaming down his cheeks. "You'll go with me, ne?"

"Hmm, no, sorry, I have a date." Mizuiro replied without looking up from his cell-phone, and while Keigo started rambling about friends who did not care for him, Ichigo left the classroom.

"I wonder what happened…" Tatsuki mumbled suddenly as she appeared beside Mizuiro, her school's bag resting over her shoulder, and the two boys looked at her in confusion. "Ever since they returned that they have all been behaving rather strangely, don't you think?"

"I'm afraid I only noticed a slight change in Inoue-san." Mizuiro confessed, and Tatsuki glanced at him before walking towards the closest window of the classroom. For a moment she just stood there, staring outside, until she managed to spot a familiar orange haired girl walking in the snow. Tatsuki would have accompanied Orihime home, and try to understand what was going on, if it was not for karate training.

Moments later, Tatsuki saw both Ichigo and Rukia leave the school's building. All she hoped was that whatever that was going on would be solved soon, or she would be forced to butt in once more.

* * *

Rangiku looked up from the magazine she had been reading when she heard Orihime step inside the kitchen. As she watched the girl walking towards a kitchen cabinet, and take a cup from inside, Rangiku reached out for one of the cookies she had displayed in a plate, on her left.

Things had definitely changed ever since the Orihime and the others had returned from Las Noches. As a punishment, Renji had been ordered to stay with Urahara until further notice while Captain Tōshirō and Rangiku herself had been ordered to stay with Orihime. The reasons for such orders, however, were so simple to be understood that it was almost pitiful.

After all, there was no better place for Renji to be punished if not by being forced to stay with Urahara. Rukia had been forced to stay with the Kurosaki family, but everybody guessed that Captain Byakuya had done something to appease her sentence. But when it came to Orihime it was rather sore to recall the real reason why Captain Tōshirō and Lieutenant Rangiku still lived with her.

_She betrayed us…_

Or at least that was what most people thought, but Rangiku knew better than to believe in such stupid thing. After spending so many months living with Orihime, she had come to know the younger girl, and to see who she really was. And to put it short, Orihime was sociable, humorous in her own way, sensitive, and kind. The most troublesome problem was her tendency to rush into situations without thinking. Rangiku was almost certain that it had been her tendency to help others that had taken Orihime to Hueco Mundo on the first place, but still…

…To testify that Orihime had simply tried to protect her friends would prove to be extremely difficult.

"Would you like some hot chocolate, Rangiku-san?" Orihime asked out of the blue, and the _shinigami_ snapped from her thoughts before looking over her shoulder, and spot Orihime standing close to the microwave.

"Sure, hot chocolate always goes nicely with cookies!" Rangiku answered with a smile, which Orihime returned before turning to the microwave. "Say, how come you haven't invited everyone to come here?"

For a moment Orihime said nothing as she reached for another cup from inside a kitchen-cabinet. As she rested her chin on her hand, Rangiku watched the girl filling the cup with hot chocolate before turning around, and hand it to her.

"Well, everyone's so busy lately…" Orihime trailed off as she turned to the microwave, and took a second cup from inside, but Rangiku said nothing in return. "I don't think they have time for a meeting among friends."

"Nonsense, I could talk to the Captain; I bet he'll like the idea." Rangiku replied before taking a quick sip of her warm drink. Then, she reached out for the plate filled with cookies, and handed it to Orihime, who accepted it. "I mean, so what if everyone's training? Everybody deserves a break, you know?"

"But since Aizen is still on the loose…"

"So what if he is? It's not as if we can do something about it, at the moment." Rangiku interrupted while Orihime raised her cup to her lips, "Everyone back in Seireitei is trying to figure out what to do next, but hey, it's not as if the world is going to end just because we decided to have some fun."

"Matsumoto…" a male voice called out suddenly, and the two girls gazed at the door of the kitchen only to see Hitsugaya Tōshirō standing there, dressed in a pair of jeans and white t-shirt. "You have paperwork to take care of."

"Aw, Captain, let me enjoy this hot chocolate." Rangiku whined as she raised her cup slightly in front of her chin. "Why don't you drink some too? You must be feeling cold since you're only wearing that."

"Matsumoto…." Tōshirō growled in a very slow tone, and the said _shinigami_ sighed before standing up from her chair.

"Fine, fine, I'll be on my way." Rangiku started before turning to Orihime, and grab a hand full of cookies. "If you need anything, I'll be locked up in my room, probably buried under piles of paperwork."

With those words, she walked out of the kitchen, nibbling on a cookie as she went. All she hoped was that in the middle of all the paperwork she had to take care of, she would find a clue that could help Orihime.

On the meantime, Jūshirō Ukitake finished reading a letter, and looked at the clear blue sky with a thoughtful expression on his face. He had been expecting something to happen, but he had never expected for something that insane to knock on his door. But then again, he had decided to play dumb, and had refused to think of any possible crazy plan when Soifon had appeared at his door, with a letter addressed to him.

But then again, what else could he expect from Kisuke Urahara?

With a small shake of his head, Ukitake looked down at the letter again, and started to wonder about what he could possibly do. He understood why the letter had been sent to him, but still that did not mollify the fact that he was the one who had to go talk with Kenpachi Zaraki.

Ah, go figure why he was the one who was always dragged into those confusions…

"You asked for me?" a male voice asked unexpectedly, and Ukitake looked over his shoulder only to smile when a familiar face emerged from behind a few trees. "Did something happen?"

"Not yet." Ukitake answered, as the other person continued walking towards him, "But with your help, it might."

* * *

It was with an inaudible sigh that Orihime sat down on her futon, and covered herself up to her waist. Since quietness ruled her small apartment, she guessed that both Tōshirō and Rangiku had decided to rest for the night; either that, or they were silently destroying their room.

Unhurriedly, Orihime looked around before settling her eyes on her hands.

The reason why the two _shinigami_ were still in her house made her feel uneasy. It was not as if she did not want them there, on the contrary, Orihime loved their company, but she knew… Even though she behaved like a naïve and very distracted girl most of the time, Orihime knew why both Tōshirō and Rangiku were still there.

But she could not blame them for that. She guessed that if she was ever to be on their shoes, she would most likely do the same thing. After all, she had betrayed them. Yes, because even though it had been her wish to save her friends that had taken her to Hueco Mundo, Orihime knew how her actions were analyzed by others.

But it was also true that if she was given the possibility to go back in time, she would do the same things all over again. She would still accept Ulquiorra's instructions, and she would still say goodbye to Ichigo… And she would do it because deep down she knew it was the right thing to do.

Her friends' safety was the most important for her…

…Even if that meant her being considered a traitor by almost everyone.

Suddenly Orihime closed her hands into tight fists, her eyes still locked with her fingers.

"_I __came here to defeat you, Grimmjow! I will defeat you! I will defeat Ulquiorra! I will defeat Aizen! And then I'll take Rukia! Chad! Ishida! Renji! Inoue… I'll bring them all back!_

She knew that Ichigo did not think of her as a traitor, but sometimes she was ashamed of even glancing at him. She could remember quite well how he had reacted when she had asked for him to leave her behind, and Orihime could still picture the look on his face after her request. He had looked at her with a mix of disbelief, tiredness and sadness…she could understand the weariness and the scepticism, but no matter how much she thought about it, she could never understand the sadness.

It just did not make sense in the context where it was placed, because…why would he be sad just because she had asked to stay in Hueco Mundo? She would understand anger, rage, annoyance, but not sadness…

A sigh escaped from Orihime's lips as the girl unclenched her fists, and finally lay down on the futon, pulling the cover up to her shoulders. She did not know what she would have to do to prove to everyone that she was not a traitor, but she was not going to stop trying. Also, she wanted to show everyone that even though she felt broken on the inside, she was still the bubbly friend they knew.

All she hoped was that the answer to her problems would arrive soon, because Orihime was not sure for how long she would be able to wear the mask that never weeps.

**To Be Continued…**

**Authoress Note: **Since this is also rather short in length, I decided that it would not hurt to post it now. The future chapters will be a tad longer, I promise.

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_**Celestial Night**_ – My first reviewer! D I am quite relieved to know that despite of the mistakes, the story is still readable. Also, I promise that the chapters will be a bit longer as the story continues.

_**Vld **_– Ah, such interesting questions, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait to find the answers you're looking for.

_**PomegranateQueen**_ – Thank you very much for pointing out the mistakes. Sometimes I end up thinking in Portuguese, and translate the words exactly as I say them. Stupid thing to do, I know, and I promise I'll try to change that habit. I'll keep everything in mind, especially the 'hyper' part, since know I understand why that is not the best word to associate with Orihime. 'Happy-go-lucky' is definitely one I'll try to remember in the future ) Thank you so much for everything!

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – Actually, the idea for a Bleach Bar popped in my mind after watching one of (first) _Bleach_ openings, where the characters are in a bar named Bleach Bar XD So that idea definitely does not belong to me.

_**ELLIE 31773**_ – Thank you for reading this; I really hope you'll give this story a chance before you decide to label it as 'good' or 'bad'.

_**Atemu'sLotus**_ – Well, one thing is certain; when Urahara's brewing, no one is safe XD


	3. Hints of Lunacy

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

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Another short chapter yet again; even I, the authoress, am beginning to crave for long chapters XD Go figure. All I want to leave here is my appreciation towards everyone who has been reading (and some even reviewing) this story. Thanks everyone!

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**Chapter 3**

_Hints of Lunacy_

He seriously did not get it how people could make so much noise so early in the morning. It was true that he was not feeling sleepy or tired, but he was positive that if that noise continued, he would be forced to deal with a headache sooner or later. And to think people were excited because they had just been informed that they would have to deal with a new teacher.

Apparently the school's committee had decided that their students had to improve their languages, starting with Japanese itself. Not that he cared about that anyway, but still all the fuss his classmates were making was getting to him.

"Oi, Kuchiki-san, what do you think about the new teacher?" Keigo asked suddenly as he appeared in front of Ichigo, who was too busy rubbing his temples to look up at him. Rukia, on the other hand, was too occupied staring at the book she had placed on her desk to listen to Keigo.

"I don't think you should be bothering them." Mizuiro spoke as he appeared from behind Keigo as he continued reading a book. "Don't you see that they aren't in the mood to talk?"

"Ah, what's wrong with this people? They were missing for ages, and now that they're back, they behave as if we're no longer friends!" Keigo exclaimed dramatically, and Ichigo started twitching.

Normally, Ichigo would not mind Keigo's antics; in fact, sometimes he even welcomed Keigo's overly-dramatic behaviour and hyperactivity, but not on that day. At the moment, all Ichigo wanted was for the delayed teacher to show up, and tell everybody to shut up.

"Orihime!!" a voice sing-sang, and Ichigo raised his head from his hands to look at the entrance of the classroom. Orihime, who had just stepped inside the classroom, yelped in surprise when a pair of arms wrapped around her torso, raising her breasts up.

"Let go off her, you psycho!" Tatsuki shouted before hitting Honshō Chizuru on the side, sending the girl flying across the classroom. "Damn it, why do we have to go through the same damn thing every single day?"

"T-Thanks, Tatsuki-chan." Orihime thanked as she turned to her best friend, a smile on her face. "But don't hit her so hard everyday. It wouldn't be good if she broke something just because you tried to protect me."

"Bah, I keep hoping she'll crack her skull open, and have a sudden change of personality." Tatsuki grunted as she threw her bag over her shoulder, her left hand resting on her hip. "And you seriously need to stop worrying about that leech."

As Orihime started laughing nervously, Tatsuki shaking her head in annoyance, Ichigo looked down at his desk. For a moment he wondered if he should do something, though he did not know what. Every day the same thing would happen; Orihime would walk inside the classroom, greet him, Rukia, Ishida and Sado before retreating to her seat.

Now that he thought about it, Ichigo could not even recall one proper conversation between him and Orihime ever since they had returned from Hueco Mundo. Perhaps he should do something to change that?

"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun. Good morning, Kuchiki-san." Orihime greeted suddenly, and Ichigo mentally sighed at the cheerful note in her voice. Nevertheless, he raised his head until his eyes found Orihime's, but instead of saying something, Ichigo simply nodded in return.

"Good morning. Inoue," Rukia greeted in her high school student's voice, and Ichigo glanced at her only to see that a smile was also gracing her features. What was that all about? Both of them were trying so hard to conceal their real feelings, and yet failing miserably.

Maybe it was a girl thing?

"Kuchiki-san, I've been planning on asking you, how are things with Renji-san?" Orihime asked as she continued standing in front of Ichigo's desk. At the question, Ichigo glanced at Rukia, also waiting for a reply. Truth to be told, between school, family and hollows, Ichigo had never had the time to sit down with Rukia, and talk to her about Renji.

But then again, Ichigo was not good at things such as pet-talks, so he guessed he had to take profit of the occasion that had just been presented to him.

"Oh, he's fine, thanks for asking." Rukia replied still in the same tone, the wide smile still on her face, and Orihime nodded. "He has been quite busy lately with work and all, but I think we'll be able to go out soon."

"Eh, Kuchiki-san, you have a boyfriend and you didn't tell us?" Natsui Mahana questioned out of the blue, and Ichigo mentally shook his head. He just wondered how Rukia would be able to explain that one.

"Oh no, he's j—" Rukia trailed off when the door of the classroom was opened, and for Ichigo's relief the whole classroom went silent. However, before someone could even move an inch, the sound of heels hitting the marble floor echoed through the room.

It was almost in slow motion that a pair of black boots walked through the door close followed by long, creamy legs, and a black skirt that was perhaps a bit too short for a teacher. Then, a buttoned seashell coloured jacket emerged from the hall, which only revealed the top of a white buttoned shirt.

Ichigo only had time to notice the teacher's waist length black hair before his eyes met a pair of navy blue eyes, and for some reason Ichigo felt a shiver run down his spine. Maybe it had something to do with the cold way the teacher was staring at him, but before Ichigo could wonder about it, he heard Rukia groan from beside him.

"Alright people, listen up!" the woman exclaimed when she reached her desk, and even though she had requested for them to listen, every student that was standing rushed to his or her seat. "I'm only going to say this once, so you better listen. My name is Shinkai Hasu, and I'm here to teach you the History of Japanese Language. If you have doubts don't bother raising your hand, because I'm not going to explain anything to you."

"Oh no…" Rukia moaned under her breath, and Ichigo glanced at her in confusion only to see that she was staring at the teacher with a strange expression on her face.

"And before any of you starts complaining, I'm going to inform you that you're going to pay for every mistake you do in this class, in P.E." the teacher continued, and a small murmur followed her words. "So, before you start asking each others for an explanation that none of you knows of, let met tell you that, yes, I'm going to be your P.E. teacher as well."

Abruptly, the teacher stared at Ichigo again, and once more the orange haired boy felt a chill run down his spine. Why did he have the feeling that something very bad was going to happen?

* * *

As usual, things were fairly quiet in the store. Sometimes, it even made her wonder if the rest of the world was actually aware of the existence of that candy store, but she had never thought much about the subject. After all, when you are an undercover _shinigami _you do not have much time to wonder about that kind of things.

"Hello?" she called-out as she stepped inside the store, and glanced around. Yes, it was empty as always, though various types of candy were displayed on the shelves. "Urahara-san, I need to speak with you!"

But then again, since when was Urahara Kisuke present whenever someone needed to talk to him?

"Urahara-san?" she called-out again as she walked towards the doors that lead to the house, and after a deep breath, she pushed the door aside. After glancing to her sides, she noticed that no one was around. However, she refused to leave without talking to Urahara, and therefore she decided to head to the basement.

She knew that Renji would be there, and perhaps he could help her with her doubts. But then again, all Renji thought about those days was about training, so she decided not to let her hopes get too high.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" a very familiar male voice echoed through the basement right when she had just finished climbing down the stairs. With a confused blink, she turned around, and spotted Zabimaru not too far from her position.

"Again!" Sado's voice echoed through the basement, and Rukia blinked when Renji let out a battle cry, and seconds later Zabimaru was crossing the air again.

With a sigh, Rukia made her way towards the red haired _shinigami, _knowing that he was only a few meters away from her. However, since he and Sado were so focused in their training, both of them had failed to notice her approaching them.

As she moved towards Renji from behind, Rukia stopped her tracks, and waited for him to sense her presence. When that did not happen, the female _shinigami _twitched and quickly went to Renji's side before jumping slightly in the air so that she could hit her friend on the side of his head.

"Will you notice that I'm here?" she asked as she crossed her arms against her chest, and with a yelp in surprise Renji turned to her.

"R-Rukia, how long have you been standing there?" Renji asked as he rubbed his head, right where the girl had hit him. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I need to talk to Urahara-san, but as usual he's never around when I need to ask him about some things." Rukia started, and Renji turned to her at same time Sado emerged from behind a small hill, with both his arms armoured. "There are things going on that I don't like."

"Does it involve Aizen?" Renji asked, and Rukia started drumming her right fingers against her left arm as she pondered about something. "What happened?"

"Oh oh oh, Kuchiki-san!" a voice greeted suddenly, and everybody looked towards the stairs only to see Urahara standing there, holding his open fan in front of his face. "What brings you to my humble house?"

"As if you don't know," Rukia muttered under her breath as she watched the older man walk towards her, and then she narrowed her eyes slightly in suspicion. "You sure have a lot to explain."

"I'm sorry my dear, but I do not know what reason may have brought you here." Urahara started, and Rukia raised an eyebrow at his answer. "I have been quite busy lately making sure Abarai-san doesn't get into any sort of trouble, at same time I try to help Sado-san to get stronger."

"Do you really expect me to believe that everything that has been going on doesn't have your wits behind it?" Rukia inquired, but Urahara simply laughed at her question before closing his fan.

"Kuchiki-san, I seriously do not know about has been going on." He started, "If you must know, I was out with Ururu, Shinta and Tessai. All of them will tell you that we went out because Yoruichi-san has been eating a lot ever since she has decided to settle down at my house."

"I'm sure she wouldn't enjoy hearing you call her fat." Rukia retorted, and Urahara immediately opened his fan, and covered his mouth as he laughed. "But I assure you that I am going to find out what's going on, and when I do, you will have to explain me what you're planning."

"Oi! Rukia!" Renji called out when the girl abruptly turned her back to him, and started walking towards the stairs. When she did not stop, Renji dropped the hand he had extended forward, and sighed.

Ever since they had left Hueco Mundo that things had gotten stranger and weirder…

As she walked out of Urahara's shop, Rukia took a deep breath, and stared up at the darkening sky. She honestly did not know why Urahara always behaved as if he did not know things when it was obvious that he did. Unfortunately it was not as if Rukia could grab him by the collar, and shake him senseless until he accepted to explain what was going on, but…

Why did she have the feeling that what was happening somehow involved all of her friends, especially Orihime? She knew that many from Soul Society were still unsure about what to do concerning Orihime, because for them, even though she was a traitor, she was also someone who could be of great help in the future, regardless if she wanted to help them willingly or not.

For Rukia, all those who looked at Orihime, and saw a traitor, were plain foolish and ignorant. One simple glance at Orihime would be more than enough to show how caring and altruist she was, and yet some people were so blind…

As she started making her way towards Ichigo's house, Rukia crossed her arms against her chest again, in deep thought. She was going to find out what was going on, even if she had to annoy the crap out of some _shinigami_ to get the truth out.

All of a sudden, the corner of Rukia's lips curled up into a smirk as she thought of her first victim. All she hoped was that it would work.

As Rukia walked away from Urahara's shop, the "sandals-hat" man stepped inside his house before settling down on the living room. With a sigh, he lowered his hat even more before noticing the two cups of tea displayed on the wooden table in front of him along with a plate filled with cookies.

"I should have knownthat Jūshirōwas going to send you this fast." Urahara commented as he dropped his hand so that he could cross his arms against his chest. "Do you know what you're supposed to do here?"

"I was told you're interested in creating a Bleach Bar," the person sitting a cross from Urahara pointed out, and the former Captain nodded. "And even though I was quite busy, I was unable to refuse the invitation to come to the real world. Besides, Captain Ukitake told me it would be good if I came."

"Why yes, you did the right thing when you accepted to come here!" Urahara exclaimed jovially as he opened his fan in front of his face, "I would also like to decide a few things with you, in order for you to understand what has been going on around here."

"No offence, Urahara-san, but Captain Ukitake informed me that this has something to do with Kurosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime." The other person interrupted in a polite way, and Urahara stared at his visitor with shadowed eyes. "I would appreciate if you explained what you expect of me."

"Well, I should begin by saying that you are not alone in this." Urahara started, but the other person said nothing in return. Only a pair of eyes blinking at the words revealed the interest the person had about the plan, "Very well, let's talk about this while we eat."

**To Be Continued…**

_**Celestial Night**_ – Actually, I like to think that Ichigo is only dense when it comes to certain matters (such as Orihime's obvious feelings for him). I believe we have been proven that every time something's wrong with one of his friends, Ichigo notices it, and tries to do something about it. The only problem is that he usually ends up using the wrong way when it comes to ask his friend about what may be going on. As for Urahara's plan…more shall be revealed in the future!

_**chuchootrain**_–Why thank you, I hope you'll still think the same way until the story is finished. As for the updates, I'll try to do the best I can!

_**PomegranateQueen**_ – It is good to know that my English isn't as bad as it was before (and heavens, that was _really_ bad), and that aside from a few typos I'm doing a good job. When you pointed out the 'stood' error, I immediately told myself: 'idiot, that's such a stupid mistake!'. Also, I am quite relieved to know that I'm working well with the characters (until now, that is). I really hope you keep enjoying this. Thank you for everything.

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Hello!! You're right! It _has_ taken me ages to write something! But as you can see, I'm back! And with _Bleach_ of all things! As for the story, I decided that it would be better to let Toshiro and Rangiku stay with Orihime, like they do in the anime. And trust me; many things will happen in that apartment XD. I hope you keep enjoying this story!

_**Atemu'sLotus**_ – I am quite relieved to know I'm doing a good job describing the characters; I actually found a tad difficult to work with some of them, but hopefully they are all at least somewhat close to the way they behave in the manga/anime.

_**Vld**_ – Well, some people from Seireitei do seem to enjoy the: act first, think later. I decided that keeping that behaviour would only help out with the plot, and hopefully, I did the right choice.

_**copperheadfightingninja**_– I sure hope this story keeps up to your expectations. I promise I'll do my best to do so; in fact, I am more than ready to change a few things in case I notice that people are loosing interest in the story although this is pretty much finished. I am also quite content to know you like the way I describe Orihime; she's actually one of my favourite characters from _Bleach_, and I see myself in her a lot. I just hope I won't disappoint you.

_**nimacu**_ – I really, really hope I won't do anything that may ruin the interest that you have in this story. And it's a relief to know that I'm keeping Orihime in character, even though in this story she's going through depression. Thank you for your support.

_**queenboogie16**_ – Well, if you have any doubts, feel free to ask me, and I promise I'll do my best to answer your questions. I am glad to know that the way I'm writing about Orihime was what caught your attention. I really loved to write all scenes in which she shows up.

_**Mortimerscross**_ – Aww, thank you! I just hope I'll manage to stay true to those words.

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – Yes, I really need to work on those grammatical errors you mentioned. I promise I'll do my best to notice and correct them.


	4. Raindrops of Uncertainty

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

Okay, so here's the new chapter of _Handprint in My Heart. _Once again, I thank everyone who has been following this story. I really hope you're all enjoying this. Thank you!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_Raindrops of Uncertainty _

Rain was falling heavily from the skies, the day looking rather gloomy due to the dark grey clouds. The wind was bitter for it was cold, and strong enough to force people to find shelter in stores or in bus-stops. Umbrellas filled the streets as those who were obligated to walk, continued making their way towards their destination.

But it was in one of the quietest streets that a young man could be spotted, holding a blue umbrella while he carried a plastic bag with his other hand. His blue eyes, protected by glasses, were focused on the raindrops, his mind too preoccupied with thoughts for him to pay attention to where he was going.

Things had changed drastically ever since they had returned from Hueco Mundo. Everyone who was not aware of the deepness of everything that had happened would most likely say that they were all behaving a tad differently from how they used to act in the past, but he knew that was not true.

They had all changed deeply ever since they returned from Hueco Mundo, but some of them just did not want to acknowledge and accept those differences.

And despite of everything, Ishida Uryū had to admit that the one who had changed the most had been indeed Inoue Orihime. Kurosaki Ichigo had changed as well, but Ishida was aware that it was easier for everybody to see how Orihime, who had once been a very optimist and naïve girl, had suddenly become quiet and inhibited.

And before Ishida knew what he was doing, he found himself recalling all the events he and his friends had been forced to live during the time they had spent in Las Noches.

That until a dark shade of orange forced Ishida to snap from his thoughts, and look at the person who was crouching on the ground. Rain was falling heavily on her, but Ishida could see an open purple umbrella next to her, over a normal sized box. By her feet was a plastic bag lying on the ground, and Ishida could see some fruits inside of it.

"Inoue-san!" Ishida called out as he rushed to her side, but his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the reason why the girl was standing in the rain even though she had an umbrella beside her.

"Huh? Oh, hello Ishida-kun!" Orihime greeted with a smile, but Ishida continued staring at the puppy inside the box. Its fur was wet, but the blanket that was next to the pup revealed that Orihime had probably tried to dry the poor animal. The purple umbrella Ishida had spotted was over the box, protecting the puppy from the malicious rain.

"Inoue-san, why are you like this?" Ishida asked as he bent down so that he could put his umbrella over the girl's head as well. "You're going to get sick."

"Oh, I just couldn't leave him under the rain like that." Orihime pointed out as she focused her attention on the puppy. There was also a saucer close to the puppy with some milk. "I was just thinking that I would take him home with me if I could."

"Why don't you do it?" Ishida asked as he stared at his friend, who shook her head sadly. As she raised a hand to cuddle the little pup on the head, Ishida saw Orihime shiver due to a sudden cold wind that blew from north.

"I don't spend much time at home. Besides, Rangiku-san and Hitsugaya-san are there as well." Orihime explained sadly, but after a few seconds, she turned her head to him, and Ishida knew what she was going to say. "Ishida-kun, can't you…?"

"I'm sorry Inoue-san, but my father doesn't allow any sort of animals." he quickly clarified, and he could swear he saw the already small glow in Inoue's eyes diminish even more. "Inoue-san, I understand you're about the puppy, but you cannot stay outside. Please, let me take you home."

"But the puppy…"

"Inoue-san, someone will show up, and take him home." Ishida answered, but mentally he added that he indeed hoped that someone could take the poor animal home. He knew the chances of survival for such a small puppy were small, especially with that weather. "You need to think about your health as well. So please, let me take you home."

"…Okay." Orihime whispered, and Ishida straightened up though he made sure his umbrella was still protecting the girl from the rain. Slowly, Orihime cuddled the puppy one last time before standing up at same time she grabbed the bag which was lying next to her. "I'm sorry, puppy."

Silently, Orihime turned to Ishida, and without looking back they started making their way towards Orihime's house. It was a very complicated thing to do, and Ishida quickly noticed how hard it was for the girl next to him to walk away as soon as they started listening to the puppy whining and barking faintly.

"Inoue-san…"

"I just wish I could take him home…" Orihime interrupted as she looked down, and Ishida continued to watch her until he looked away at same time the girl raised her eyes to stare at the falling rain. "Ishida-kun, have you…have you ever wished to be like the rain?"

"Like the rain?" Ishida repeated, and Orihime nodded though she was still watching the heavily raindrops falling from the sky, "What do you mean?"

"It's just that the rain…" when Orihime's voice faded with the wind, Ishida watched her dropping her head so that her wet hair was now partially concealing her face from him. "Never mind, Ishida-kun, and hum…I can go back by myself."

"No Inoue-san, I insist on walking you home." Ishida interrupted, raising his hand when the girl was about to walk faster. "You're already soaked, and I don't really want to find out tomorrow that you're sick. So let me take you home."

"…Okay. Thank you." Orihime thanked with a small smile, but Ishida said nothing in return. He simply made sure that both of them were protected by his umbrella as they continued walking towards Orihime's house in silence.

What none of the two young adults noticed as they turned left on a corner was the person stopping next to the box where the whining puppy was. Then, suddenly, lighting crossed the grey heavens closed followed by a thunder, and a pair of lips curled up into a smirk.

* * *

"Where the heck is Kon?"

At the infuriated questioned, Rukia raised her eyes from the manga she was reading in time to see Ichigo walk inside the room, through the window. He was on his _shinigami _form, because they had received a warning about two hollows that were on the loose. And since Ichigo had expressed his wish to take care of it by himself, Rukia had decided to accept his decision, especially because it was pouring outside.

"He's in your sisters' room, and he's going to stay there for quite some time." Rukia answered as Ichigo returned to his body, which was lying on the bed. "Why do you need him?"

"I need to kick something." Ichigo replied as he sat up straight on his bed, and Rukia looked away from him before focusing her attention on the manga, as she continued lying on the floor.

"You do realise he doesn't feel pain."

"Well yeah, but it would make me feel a lot better." Ichigo retorted before falling on his back, his head now resting on his pillow. In silence, he stared at the ceiling, mentally wondering if he could enter in his sisters' room, and torment Kon just for a bit. Adrenaline was still kicking in, and Ichigo knew that he had to find a way to release all the energy before he went crazy.

"Why don't you study for a bit?"

"Not in the mood," Ichigo replied without looking away from the ceiling, and Rukia turned the page before resting her chin on her hand. "I cannot believe I'm going to say this, but I just wished for hollows to show up."

"You want to go outside?" Rukia questioned confusedly as she raised her eyes from the manga to stare at the boy, "You know, it's not as if I don't find it noble, but why on earth are you wishing for such thing?"

"…I just need to do something, that's all." Ichigo answered after a long pause, and he eventually focused his attention on Rukia, who was now sitting on the floor still holding the manga.

"Ichigo, does this have anything to do with what's going on?" Rukia inquired slowly, and her eyes finally meet the boy's. "I'm not only referring to Aizen, and about what happened in Hueco Mundo. I'm talking about everything, including what's going on with Inoue."

"Why do you want to know?" Ichigo asked as he raised an eyebrow, and slowly he sat up straight on his bed. "Did something happen in Soul Society? Is something going to happen to Inoue?"

"No, no, nothing happened in Soul Society." Rukia answered quickly as she shook her head, "At least not that I know of, but… Well, never mind, I'm just asking because you have been behaving like an anti-social lately. The fact you want to fight hollows every chance you get is worrying me as well, and everybody has noticed your strange behaviour."

"What do you mean, 'strange behaviour'? I've been behaving as always!" Ichigo exclaimed in self-defence, but Rukia entitled her head slightly to the side, clearly not believing his words. "And you really shouldn't point a finger at me, because you haven't been yourself for quite some time!"

"What? I have always behaved like myself!" Rukia exclaimed as she stood up from the floor, but Ichigo simply rolled his eyes. "And since when is this conversation about me? I'm just worried about you, idiot!"

"Well, I don't need you to worry about me!" Ichigo exclaimed, "Man, one person can't say anything!"

"Well, I—" Rukia went silent when her cell-phone started beeping, and after putting the manga on the desk behind her, she grabbed the phone. For a moment, everything was silent until, "Hmm…"

"What's 'hmm'?" Ichigo asked as he stood up from the bed, and approached the petite girl, "Is it a hollow? Is it Aizen?"

"Hmm no, it's an invitation." Rukia replied as she continued staring at the screen of the cell-phone, and Ichigo stared at her as if she was crazy. "Apparently, there's to be a reunion among the _shinigami _that are here in the real world, a—huh?"

"What? What?" Ichigo asked as he tried to read the text-message, but when she noticed what he was trying to do Rukia closed her cell-phone, and turned to him. "What's going on?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just have to go talk to Renji about something." Rukia answered with a smile, but Ichigo mentally sighed because it was a tad too obvious that she was covering something up. "Anyway, I don't know when I'll be back, so don't wait up."

"Hey, wait!" Ichigo shouted when Rukia suddenly turned her back to him, and opened the window of his room before disappearing. For a moment, Ichigo stood on the same spot, a hand in the air almost as if he was trying to reach out for the window, but then he sighed.

Every time Rukia tried to cover up for something, Ichigo knew that it would probably end up as a life or death situation.

* * *

"I'm gonna die!"

"Don't be silly, you're not going to die."

"I am! I…I can't breath! H-Help! I don't wanna die so young!"

"Asano Keigo, ten more laps for you!" a third voice shouted from afar, and Keigo's eyes widened in horror as he looked over his shoulder to stare at their P.E. teacher. "And fifty push-ups after you're done!"

"Ahhh, I'm going to dieeee!" Keigo whined before increasing his speed, tears rolling down his flushed cheeks, but Mizuiro just watched him jogging around the field still behaving dramatically as always.

"I thought he would have learnt the lesson by now." Mizuiro commented when a tall young man appeared beside of him, "He should have known better before calling Shinkai-sensei 'Booby Queen'."

"I advise you not to say that out-loud." Sado commented suddenly as he continued running beside his shorter classmate, who looked up at him before smiling.

"I guess it wouldn't be wise." Mizuiro replied, but Sado simply looked ahead as they continued running. "Well, I'm going to slow down a bit."

With that, Mizuiro slowed his pace down while Sado kept his until he was running beside Ishida. For a long moment the two of them continued jogging in silence, listening as Keigo pleaded for his life as he also continued running at the distance, until Ishida glanced sideways at his friend.

"Do you have extracurricular classes today?" he asked, and Sado looked at him before nodding. They had decided that it was safer to use that as an excuse to mention Sado and Renji's training without raising suspicions. "You know, I was thinking we could do something different after classes, today."

"…What do you have in mind?" Sado asked in his quiet tone, and Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose before glancing at Ichigo, who was running all by himself not too far from them. Then, he glanced at where the girls were – playing football – and observed Orihime and Rukia for a moment before focusing his attention on Sado again.

"Well, I thought we could perhaps spend some time together." Ishida explained after a short period in silence, and Sado glanced at him again. "We could try to go some place nice, and just talk for a bit. I'm sure you have noticed that things aren't quite the same ever since we returned from Las Noches."

The two boys quieted down when they jogged past their teacher, who was shouting something to the girls about being more serious about the game. Then, Sado glanced at Ishida again.

"…Asano said something about a new bar that opened last weekend." he commented suddenly, and Ishida looked at him before thinking about the new information. "We could go there."

"Do you think they allow underage students to enter there?" Ishida questioned, but Sado said nothing in return. "Well, I guess we could give it a try, after classes."

"Ishida! Yasutora! Less chatting and more running!" Hasu commanded suddenly from the distance, and Ishida immediately pushed his glasses up his nose at same time he cleared his throat.

"If we manage to survive this class, I mean."

Despite of the fact that P.E. class was not going to be the same for quite some time, everybody managed to survive the class intact. As soon as the students were released, Ishida had rushed to Rukia and Orihime, and told them about his plan, while Sado talked to Ichigo.

And even though accordingly to his calculus, Orihime would be the one who would take longer to convince to go, Ishida was proven wrong when the girl accepted the invitation with a grateful smile. Ichigo, on the contrary, was the one who had refused to go, until Rukia showed up, and told him that a little break would not kill him.

And so, one hour after the last class, the five friends could be spotted walking through a rather crowded street. They were all silent, but in spite of the uneasiness that was almost palpable in the air, Ishida knew that sooner or later one of them was going to break the ice.

"It's feels good to be outside." Orihime observed all of a sudden even though she had pulled her jacket closer to her as she spoke. "I mean, it's rather cold, but still…it feels good to feel the wind. Do you think it's going to snow?"

"They didn't say anything about that on the news this morning." Ishida answered, and Orihime turned to him only to surprise the last Quincy with her smile, "Would you prefer if it was snowing?"

"No, this way we can walk around with no rush." Orihime answered with a small shake of her head, "But we can still drink some hot chocolate. Do you think they have it on the bar you're taking us to?"

"Speaking of which, where _is_ the bar exactly?" Rukia questioned out of the blue as they turned around on a corner, "You're not taking us to the bar Asano told us about, are you? Because I don't trust his likings."

"Well, I thought we could just look for a nice place to rest for a bit." Ishida replied as he turned to the petite girl, "But Asano-san did mention two or three bars that I thought we could check."

"Ah, look! I didn't know that something existed there!" Orihime exclaimed unexpectedly as she stopped her tracks, and everybody looked at her only to notice she was staring at something on the other side of the street.

"Hmm it looks like a coffee-shop…" Ishida mumbled as he stared at the dark shop-window, but he blinked when he noticed the bright lights that could be seen faintly through the glass, blinking in blue and white. "Does that say…Bleach Bar?"

"Bleach as in peroxide?" Ichigo questioned in confusion as he stared at the same place everyone was observing. "Who on earth would name a bar, Bleach Bar?"

"It looks empty too." Orihime pointed out, but she glanced to her side when she saw Rukia staring intently at the bar. "Err Kuchiki-san, is everything alright? You look…apprehensive."

Instead of answering her, Rukia glanced at both sides of the street, making sure that it was alright to cross it. It was only when she was in the middle of the road that her four friends decided to follow her, all of them confused by her behaviour.

"Rukia, where do you think you're going?" Ichigo asked as he increased his speed in order to reach the girl's side. "There's no way I'm going to let you enter in there. I didn't let you drag me all this way just to see you enter in the first degraded place we stumble on."

"Shut up, and follow me." Rukia said suddenly in a tone that left no space for discussion, and Ichigo frowned at her tone. "I have a bad feeling about this, that's all."

"…Should we go in?" Sado inquired, but once again, instead of answering, Rukia pushed the front door before stepping inside. Silently, her friends followed her, and quietly walked inside the bar before looking around.

"Ah, finally!" a voice exclaimed, and everybody stared at the counter which was across from the door, and their eyes widened in either shock or surprise at what they saw. "I welcome you to the Bleach Bar!"

"I knew it…" Rukia groaned under her breath, all of her friends too surprised to say anything.

**To Be Continued…**

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Yes, I think I am going to update this story rather quickly because, at least for now, I have no reason to delay the posts. As for the new teacher, yes, that is my Original Character, and she's the only one I decided to add. As for the side-pairings, there will be some Renji x Rukia hints because I really love that pairing as well. If you have any questions feel free to ask them; I'll do my best to give you the answers.

_**copperheadfightingninja**_– Ah, you asked an interesting question, but I cannot give you the answer yet. The plot will speak for itself, and hopefully you'll enjoy the explanation. Thank you for all of your support.

_**Atemus'Lotus**_ – Yes, Urahara's plotting; run for your lives! And yep, this is all about IchiHime (gotta love this pairing). Thanks for everything, and I shall update soon again!

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_- Yes, I know that we simply cannot escape from the grammatical and spelling errors, but I promise I'll do my best to find them. Also, as for the Bleach Bar, you'll find out more about it in the next chapter.

_**hibari**_ – Well, I didn't want to keep the heavy feeling of depression hovering on every chapter, hence why I tried to write a few more…light chapters as the plot developed. I hope you won't give up on this story though, but still thank you for being honest.

_**Starfire-hime**_ – Aw, thank you! I'm so glad to know you're enjoying this. Yeah, I do like to take time developing the stories, especially when they involve relationships. As for the new teacher and her possible association with Urahara…well, time will certainly answer that question. Thank you for everything!


	5. Unspoken Trials

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

You know, I'm really, really happy to know that you're all enjoying this story so far. I hope I won't disappoint you. I truly need to thank all of you for always being there )

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_Unspoken Trials _

Even though she wanted to feel at easy with her surroundings, truth was that she could not help but feel apprehensive. Her lips were curled upwards, in a silly attempt to try to fool everybody, but deep down she knew that some people had looked beyond her façade and were conscious of her uneasiness about being there.

She knew there was no reason for her to be feeling uncomfortable; after all, those who were surrounding her were her friends, but still… Well, she knew why they were there; she was aware of the real reasons why they were all still in the real world, and _that_ was what was making her feel so anxious.

Carefully, she looked up from her glass of mint tea to glance at everyone who was inside the bar. At first it had been surprising to see them there, but after a quick explanation from Renji's part, everybody understood that the _shinigami_ had gathered in that place due to an important meeting.

Matsumoto Rangiku and Hitsugaya Tōshirō were there, the former hugging her captain from behind, which was probably the reason why he was frowning deeply. Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika were there as well, both sitting by the bar, drinking what Orihime believed to be saké.

Sitting in a corner, were both Renji and Rukia, whispering things to one another. Renji, Orihime had been unable not to notice, looked rather troubled while Rukia looked annoyed while she continued talking.

Sado and Ishida were currently sitting across from her, at the table, also observing their surroundings in silence. Ichigo, on the other hand, was talking to the person that had welcomed them as soon as they had stepped inside the bar.

"Hisagi-san, do you mind explaining me why people continue passing by this bar and don't even look at it?" Ishida questioned suddenly, interrupting the conversation between the two _shinigami_ even though he had yet to stand up from his chair. "Do you have some kind of barrier around this place?"

"Oh yes, we were in need for a place where we could talk without being interrupted, so we came up with this idea." Hisagi Shūhei explained as he turned to Ishida, a smile on his face. "Only people spiritually aware are able to see this place. For everybody else it's practically as if…nothing's here."

At those words, Orihime could not help but recall when she had seen Ushōda Hachigen's barrier around the warehouse. She remembered watching as the animals moved around, behaving as if the warehouse did not even exist…

"But why did you gather everybody here?" Ishida questioned as he pushed his glasses up his nose, but when Shūhei was about to answer, Ichigo snorted and shook his head.

"Feeling intimidated, are you?" he asked, obviously referring to the fact that the last Quincy was surrounded by _shinigami_, but Ishida simply glared at him.

"Of course not, I'm just wondering about what may have forced Seireitei to send another _shinigami_ so suddenly." he retorted, "After all, things have been quite peaceful lately despite of the hollows that keep showing up. So, I cannot help but think that this may have something to do with Inoue-san."

At her name, Orihime looked up from her tea, and stared surprisingly at him. Hisagi Shūhei had been sent to the real world because of her? But that did not make any sense. After all, there were already enough _shinigami_ walking around…

"He's right, what on earth are we all still doing here?" Ikkaku inquired all of a sudden from his seat while Yumichika rested a hand against his chin, in deep thought.

"Indeed, I'd like to hear an explanation. All these lights are ruining my gorgeous skin." he commented though his lips were curled up into a small smile, and silently Orihime started watching everyone around her.

Good grief, was she the reason why they were all there? Could she be the cause of all that commotion?

_I no longer have any use for her. Her ability is truly a wonderful one…"phenomenon rejection"…an ability far exceeding the capacities permitted to humans. The upper echelons of Soul Society understood the significance of her ability…and that is why…I kidnapped her, in order to unsettle Soul Society, and lead them to turn their attention to reinforcing Soul Society's own defences rather than those of the human world._

When Aizen's words echoed through her mind, Orihime widened her eyes in shock before raising a hand to cover her sealed lips. Abruptly, she stood up from her chair, ignoring how everyone had turned their heads to look confusedly at her.

"Oh, hmm…" Orihime tried to find words when she noticed that she was on the spotlight, and she dropped her hand before laughing nervously. "I'm sorry. I forgot that I have to go meet Tatsuki-chan. I'll see you all later."

Not wanting to give them a chance to speak, Orihime bowed before rushing out of the bar, and start running down the street, avoiding everyone who crossed her path. When she was finally far from where Bleach Bar was, Orihime slowed her steps down until she found herself stopping in front of a park.

With an inaudible sigh, the young woman made her way towards a brown-wooden bench, where she sat down, her closed fists resting on her knees. Her eyes were locked with her knuckles as she struggled to calm her alarmed heart down.

Everything had gone wrong ever since they had returned from Hueco Mundo no matter how hard everybody tried to make it go right.

And _she_ was the one to blame…

_I kidnapped her, in order to unsettle Soul Society._

At the echoing words, Orihime buried her head in her hands, and took various deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. All she wanted was to smile again…all she wanted was to not be a burden…all she wanted was to make sure her friends were safe and sound…

"Inoue Orihime, shouldn't you be at home doing your homework?" a voice asked out of the blue, and the orange haired girl unhurriedly looked up from her hands.

* * *

Things were definitely getting weirder, and truth was that he did not like it. In fact, he hated the unambiguous evidence that most people from Seireitei looked at Orihime and saw her as someone who was to go to jail in the future. Apparently, the only reason why such had not happened yet was because Orihime was in fact alive, and therefore it was not proper for her to be judged by those who resided in Soul Society.

Frankly, he thought everyone who looked at Orihime, and saw traitor were either stupid or just plain foolish. But since he was nothing but a substitute _shinigami _he knew better than to voice his thoughts. So, at the moment, he was trying to come up with a plan to help Orihime clear out her name.

But unfortunately, that was easier to say than done.

Before he knew it, a sigh escaped from his lips, and he silently lay down on his bed. Thankfully, Kon was at his sisters' room, which provided him the silence and peace that he ached for. Also, his father seemed oddly quiet, but Ichigo could not help but be relieved for not having to fight him.

Heavens knew he was not in the mood for it.

"Inoue will be fine." a voice commented unexpectedly, and Ichigo moved his head to his side in order to gaze at Rukia, who was now opening the door of his closet. "Don't dwell so much on it."

"I wish it was that easy, but damn it, I hate it how everybody is being stupid." Ichigo confessed, and Rukia sat down in the interior of the closet, facing him, her legs crossed in Indian-style. "I mean, you and I both know that Inoue didn't want to come back."

"Yes that's true, but that doesn't prove anything." Rukia stated, but she raised a hand when Ichigo opened his mouth to retort. "Let me rephrase that; we know that Inoue did not want to return because she thought it would be safer for us if she stood in Las Noches, but for Seireitei the fact that Inoue did not want to come back means that she was feeling too guilty or even ashamed of her actions."

"C'mon Rukia, one only needs to look at Inoue to know that she wouldn't even harm a fly." Ichigo sighed, but the girl said nothing in return. "And you know that everyone in Soul Society is aware of that."

"Still, we have to prove that Inoue is on our side." Rukia started before resting her chin on the palm of her hand, in thought. "We need to come up with something that can prove to everyone in Seireitei, but especially General Yamamoto, that Inoue is not a deserter."

"Well, Hisagi gave us a few ideas, but truth is that just watching over Inoue won't prove anything." Rukia continued after a long period in silence, "She's already living with both Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku. Even though she'll always be surrounded by _shinigami_, and even though it's obvious that Inoue won't do a thing to get away from all this, Seireitei will explain that she behaves all innocent because she feels intimidated."

"Then, what should we do?" Ichigo asked before resting his hands behind his neck, his eyes now focused on the white ceiling. "I mean, I don't even know why Hisagi is really here even though he said he's here because of the bar, but…"

"Well, I think we sh—" Rukia was interrupted by her cell-phone, which she took from behind her without even blinking. After opening it, Rukia read the information she had just received before glancing at Ichigo. "Two hollows have just appeared. Let's go; we'll discuss what to do later."

"Finally, a way to release some stamina," Ichigo muttered under his breath at same time he stood up from his bed, and Rukia jumped from the closet. "Let's go kick some butt."

* * *

With a sigh, Rangiku looked up from her paperwork, and stared at the clock that was on the opposite wall, on a shelf. After Orihime had left the Bleach Bar, all the _shinigami_ had decided to stay, and talk about what they were supposed to do for the moment. Since it was a private meeting, they had requested for Sado, Ishida, and Ichigo to leave although they knew that Rukia would later on tell her friends about what had happened.

During their reunion, it had been decided that Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku herself would keep an eye on Orihime whenever they were together. At school, the job of watching over the orange haired girl would be given to Rukia, Ichigo and the rest of the boys.

It had also been decided that Orihime was never to be left alone, no matter the circumstances. Therefore, that had been the last day they had allowed for Orihime to wander around all by herself.

After the gathering, Rangiku had returned home while her captain had expressed his wish of going for a stroll. However, since Rangiku knew her captain better than he thought, she had agreed to let him go only because she knew he was going to make sure that Orihime was alright.

"Always worried…" Rangiku murmured to herself, the corner of her lips curling up into an amused smile, and then she rested her chin on her hand.

Personally she did not enjoy what they were being forced to do. In fact, had she been allowed to, Rangiku would have spoken her thoughts, and expressed her dislike about looking after Orihime as if she was a prisoner. But as a _shinigami_, Rangiku knew that it was her job, and unfortunately not all tasks were pleasant.

Silently, Rangiku stared down at the paperwork she had yet to take care off, and another deep sigh left her lips. Ah, what had possessed her to accept to take care of all that paperwork? All she wanted was to go shopping, and perhaps even drag Orihime with her, but nope, unfortunately Rangiku could already picture herself being buried by all that work in a very close future.

"Captain was supposed to be helping me…" Rangiku groaned as she grabbed a pen, and focused her attention on the documents she had yet to examine. Well, at least she could try to find something that could help Orihime as she worked. Perhaps, if she focused exclusively on that, paperwork would not look so deadly.

"Very well," Rangiku told herself as she cracked her knuckles, "Let's get to work…" with a determined expression on her face, the _shinigami_ grabbed the first document, but after a few seconds her face fell, and she buried her hands on her hair. "_Ahh_, I can't do this! Captain!"

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya Tōshirō was standing close to a large tree, watching as some kids played football, their laughs and screams filling the air. It somewhat amazed him how the low temperatures did not stop children from going to the park, and run like crazy people, although personally he could not help but be devoted to winter.

Noiselessly, Tōshirō rested his hands inside his jeans' pockets, and turned around before resuming to his walk. He had not seen Kurosaki's sisters around, but he guessed that they were probably at home, safe from the bitter wind that suddenly blew from north.

Then again, it was not as if he was looking for someone. All he had wanted was to spend some time alone, getting lost in his own thoughts while he tried to come up with a plan. After all, Hiashi's words were still echoing in his mind, and Tōshirō could not help but wonder about what he should do about Inoue Orihime.

After all, even though they were not friends, Tōshirō was aware that he still owed the girl for allowing him and Rangiku to stay at her house. Even though Rangiku had pretty much imposed herself…

"You are like the sun, never forget that." Tōshirō heard someone say from out of nowhere, and without blinking, the young Captain started scanning the area around him with attentive eyes.

It did not take long for him to spot the source of the words he had just heard. Not too far from his position, on his left, was non-other than Inoue Orihime herself, sitting on a bench, with a stranger sitting next to her. It was also then that the foreign woman stood up, but Tōshirō merely watched as her long black hair hide her face from him.

In silence, Tōshirō observed as the woman said one last thing to Orihime before walking away, without even glancing at where he was. Even though he was suspicious about who had just spoken to Orihime, Tōshirō could not help but notice how a smile suddenly graced the face of the orange haired girl.

And for some reason, Tōshirō could not help but sense that Orihime's smile was a real one. On contrary of all those who had been gracing her features ever since she and her friends had returned from Las Noches, it looked as if she actually meant that smile.

As he continued watching Orihime smiling to herself as she continued sitting on the bench, Tōshirō wordlessly decided that it was time to go home. After all, it had been established that that was going to be the last day Orihime was allowed to be all by herself. After that, there would always be someone with her, making sure she did not get into any sort of troubles.

Unhurriedly, Tōshirō turned around on his heels, and quietly made his way back home. Even though he had decided to let it slip, he was going to question Orihime about who the stranger she had been talking to was. After all, they had to be careful now in order not to give reasons for suspicion to arise once again.

_I find your thoughts outrageous. You shouldn't keep comparing yourself to your friends. You're special exactly because you are who you are. Whatever happened in the past is supposed to stay there. You ought though to learn from your mistakes._

Gradually, Orihime leaned against the back of the bench before staring at the sky. Her teacher was right; it was time for her to stop feeling sorry for herself, and actually start doing something. She had always been against depression anyway, and yet she was doing a pitiful job trying to remain optimist.

_If you keep thinking you're of no use to your friends, then I shall say you're mistaken. Picture the sun for instant; it's always present, even when it's raining. It's out of your reach, and yet you can feel its warmth and be bathed in its light. Why don't you boost that low self-esteem of yours, and start thinking of yourself as the sun? Not always present, but always in the heart and mind of your friends._

It was curious though, how her teacher seemed to have said exactly what she had desired to hear even though she was not aware of what was going on. And for a moment, Orihime found herself wishing to be as wise as her teacher when she was older.

"Inoue!" a voice exclaimed in surprise, and the said girl looked to her side, the corner of her lips still curled upwards. "Shouldn't you be with Matsumoto or something?"

"Oh! Hello Kuchiki-san!" Orihime greeted before spotting the tall male standing behind her friend. "Hello, Kurosaki-kun! What are you two doing here?"

"He needed to lose some energy and what better than hollows to do it?" Rukia questioned as she pointed at Ichigo with her thumb as the boy stepped to her side. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Oh, I just came here to think that's all." Orihime answered before allowing her smile to grown even more, and she quickly stood up from the bench. "I'm actually in the mood for some ice cream. Would you like to join me?"

"Inoue…it's freezing." Ichigo pointed out, but the orange haired girl beamed at his observation before clasping her hands in front of her chest.

"Why yes, it is, and that's why it will be great to eat some ice cream!" she exclaimed excitedly, and both Ichigo and Rukia shared a look. "But if you don't want to, I can go by myself. I actually love to eat ice cream during winter."

"I just don't fancy the idea of being turned into an ice-cub, that's all…" Ichigo mumbled under his breath, but he yelped when Rukia elbowed him hard on the stomach. "Hey, what's the big idea?"

"I think it's a great idea." Rukia commented suddenly as she glared at Ichigo, who frowned at her, but she ignored him by turning to Orihime. "I'd love to eat some ice cream. And Ichigo will come as well."

"Hey, don't decide this kind of stuff all by yourself!" Ichigo scolded her, but Rukia ignored him as she made her way towards Orihime, who was smiling widely at her female friend.

"Lead the way, Inoue!" Rukia said as her own lips curled into a small smile, and Orihime clasped her hands enthusiastically before starting to ramble about her favourite ice cream flavours.

After just standing on the same spot for a while, Ichigo sighed before following his two friends. For a moment he just glared at Rukia's back because he really was not very fond of ice cream, especially during winter, but he quickly found himself staring at Orihime's face as she continued talking about chocolate syrup.

She looked more content, Ichigo quickly noticed, and even though he was never going to admit it out loud, he was relief for finally seeing a smile on her face. Ever since they had returned from Las Noches that he had noticed how quiet Orihime had grown, and frankly he had never enjoyed that change.

And even though he could not show it, he just hoped that Orihime would return to her usual joyful self soon. But truth was that for Orihime to become truly jubilant again, they would have to prove that she was not a traitor, and unfortunately it was going to be very tough to prove that.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**clow-san**_ – I am really glad to know you're enjoying the story. Hopefully, the story's mystery will keep drawing you to it XD

_**Celestial Night**_ – Well, unexpected twists and never-ending questions are what make a plot irresistible, or at least that's what I think. After all, even though they may be a bit troublesome, where would the fun be without the cliffhangers and such?

_**Atemus'Lotus**_ – Ah, the puppy, I wonder what happened to him… Hum… As for the bar, well, I think it was proper to make Ichigo comment about its name. I mean, I think I would ask the same thing (hehe).

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – Are you disappointed now that you know who is behind the counter of the Bleach Bar?

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – Well, I'm happy to know you're enjoying the idea of the bar. I really enjoyed coming up with that thought XD Thank you so much for your words, and I truly hope I won't let you down.

_**Renji's Girl**_ – Thank you for your two reviews; I was glad to know that you are enjoying the way this is going. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

_**Bankai Betty**_ – Thank you for both your reviews; I truly hope this story continues to go well (in yours and everybody else's eyes).

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – It is hard not to be an IchiHime fan, don't you agree? Well, I'm sure Ichigo x Rukia fans would disagree with me, but whatever. I'm quite pleased to know you're enjoying this story so far, and as for Zaraki Kenpachi…well, we shall see what will happen in the future.

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Aw, I'm blushing in here! Seriously, I am excited to know you like the imaginaries I use; for some reason I always liked to describe things. I know I still need to improve a lot, but still, it's always good to know that someone likes your job. As for the Ishida/Orihime scene; I loved to write it, and it's great to know it worked well. Thank you so much for everything!

_**PaN-cHaN862005**_ – I hope this was soon enough, and that it was worth waiting for.


	6. Outcast Secret

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

Hey everyone! I am so happy to know you're all enjoying this story so far! And like some of you said, this story will be focused especially in Seireitei's belief that Orihime is a traitor, and that therefore she has to be treated as one. I really hope you keep enjoying the story!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_Outcast Secret_

"C'mon everyone, let's do this!"

At those words, Rukia looked away from the basketball match the boys were playing to glance at Orihime's back. The orange haired girl appeared to be back to her old self, and to her high spirits. Rukia did not know what had happened for such a change to happen practically over night, but she was somewhat content for seeing that the old Inoue Orihime was back.

"Orihime-chan, it's so good to see you that happy!" Chizuru squealed as she appeared beside Rukia, but on contrary of the former, she was roaming her eyes up and down Orihime's body. "This deserves a big hug!"

"You get away!" Tatsuki stepped in as she rushed past Chizuru until she was beside Orihime. "If you dare to touch her, I'll send you directly to the moon, you psycho!"

"Oh, you're just jealous!" Chizuru replied, and Rukia took the cue to increase her speed until she was also beside Orihime.

"You know, even though I detest the fact I'm just about to agree with that lunatic, I must say you do look happier." Tatsuki commented as she glanced at Orihime, who beamed at her. "What happened? Yesterday you were so down…"

"Well, I guess I just needed some time for myself." Orihime answered before hitting on the side of her head with her knuckles, "You know how I am. I have a hard head, so it takes longer for me to get over certain things."

"Right; and you expect me to believe in that?" Tatsuki questioned, but her best friend simply smiled at her. "Seriously Orihime, why don't you come up with a better excuse? Ever since you returned that you've been behaving rather weirdly, and everybody noticed it. This sudden change of yours just makes everything even weirder."

"I'm afraid I must agree with her, Inoue." Rukia stepped in, her voice coming out rather pitched, and the two other girls turned to her. "Yesterday you invited us to eat ice cream even though it was freezing. Before yesterday you were always all by yourself. What happened to change your mood so suddenly?"

Even though a few minutes passed, both Tatsuki and Rukia still maintained their gaze on Orihime, who was just jogging, her eyes down. However, before Rukia could think of another approach to make the same question again, Orihime looked at her, and surprised her with a smile.

"I just figured out that depression takes you nowhere." she explained, and Rukia blinked at her words while Tatsuki sighed. "Really, I'm fine, and I don't need you to worry about me anymore, okay?"

"Yeah right, if we don't worry, you certainly won't." Tatsuki retorted, and Orihime turned to her before whining about her being old enough to take care of herself. Rukia, on the other hand, turned her attention to the basketball field, and quickly noticed how Ichigo, Ishida and Sado constantly glanced her way.

When her eyes meet Ichigo's, Rukia nodded at him, and the boy nodded back. She knew that everybody was puzzled by Orihime's sudden change of personality, but deep down they were all relieved to see her smiling again. All they hoped was that Orihime was not becoming her usual self in order to stop them from worrying about her.

"Arisawa, Inoue and Kuchiki, you either start running faster or you'll be doing one hundred push-ups before you know it!" Hasu's voice yelled all of a sudden, and the three girls gulped before shouting a 'yes!', and speed up without delay.

"Inoue…" Rukia called out as soon as she noticed Tatsuki running past them, but she still lowered her tone of voice in order not to draw too much attention. "You don't have to pretend, you know? We understand if yo—"

"Ne, Kuchiki-san, you don't have to worry about me." Orihime interrupted as she turned her head to her friend, the corner of her lips still curled up into a small smile. "I don't even know why I was so depressed. I was always against that kind of thing."

"Inoue, after what you went through it's normal to feel down." Rukia interjected, but Orihime simply looked at the path ahead of them. "We are friends, we support each other. You know you can count on us right? You know Ichigo, Ishida, Sado, Renji and I are always around whenever you need, right?"

"Yes, but really Kuchiki-san I _am_ better now!" Orihime said in high spirits before increasing her speed, and Rukia watched in silence as she ran faster though she had yet to reach Tatsuki's side.

With a sigh, Rukia gazed at the boys again, and saw that they were all focused on the match at hand. She was happy to see that Orihime was better, but deep down she could not help but worry. It was true that when she had first met Orihime, she had come face-to-face with an extremely friendly and kind girl, who was very sensitive and humorous in her own way.

However, Orihime's sensitiveness was also a path towards fragility. Now, Rukia did not think Orihime was weak, on the contrary, but it was also true that Orihime was extremely frail and that was obvious in her way of trying to deal with problems without resuming to any sort of violence.

And it was also because of her fragility that Rukia knew how open Orihime was to negative feelings and pessimistic thoughts. And the problem with that was that Rukia knew Seireitei was not truly helping Orihime to feel better about herself. After all, Rukia knew that Orihime constantly blamed herself for what had happened in Las Noches.

* * *

"So, what are we supposed to do on the meantime?" Renji questioned as he raised his cup of saké, a frown on his face. "They can't possibly expect me to leave everything, and go to Soul Society."

"Actually, that may end up happening in a close future." Shūhei retorted as he continued cleaning some glasses from behind the counter, and Renji raised an eyebrow. "I've just been contacted by Captain Ukitake, and apparently some people believe that Inoue-san should be judged."

"But that girl is still living so that doesn't make much sense." Ikkaku spoke from his seat, a plate of food resting on the table in front of him, "It goes against the rules to judge someone who's not from Soul Society. Hell, it doesn't even make any sense."

"I know, but accordingly to Captain Ukitake they want to interrogate those who usually communicate with Inoue-san." Shūhei elaborated as he put a glass down before grabbing another one. "Renji, there is a high possibility that you'll be called forth."

"What? Heck, all I did was to follow Rukia to Hueco Mundo, and they're already pointing their fingers at me?" Renji asked as he rested his cup of saké on the counter, "Tsk, what are they expecting from me?"

"Well, Captain Ukitake did not offer any details, but it's not very difficult to come up with a few ideas." Shūhei started after a few moments in silence, but Renji simply continued staring at him. "They'll probably ask you all sort of questions about Inoue-san. The same will be done to everybody else."

"Well, that won't prove much." Renji pointed out, "They'll most likely believe we're saying Orihime is pretty much a saint just because she's our friend. I don't know where the point for this sort of thing is."

"Actually, I've watched something people here call 'movie' on a magical box," Yumichika started as he run a hand through his hair, and everybody turned to him. "Don't ask me the name, all I know is that there were a few very good looking people inside the box."

"Just go to the damn point." Renji interrupted before grabbing his saké, and take a very long sip. "What happened in the movie?"

"Well, they always called some people – witnesses they usually said – and they would take them to this very small room. Extremely ugly really, with awful colours, and just one window…" Yumichika stopped rambling when he noticed Renji's eyebrow twitching, and he shrugged. "What I want to say is that they would ask all sorts of questions, from 'did you know the person who was murderer?' to 'you'll be thrown into jail before you know it'."

"Well, Inoue didn't kill anyone that's for sure." Renji commented suddenly, but Yumichika simply continued with his tale almost as if he had not heard the statement.

"But then they found out a beautiful guy who worked as a spy for a reason I cannot recall, and _ohhh_, I was so shocked when he was tortured!" Yumichika exclaimed as he rested the back of his hand on his forehead, and Ikkaku rolled his eyes.

"That's a different movie or whatever they call it," he muttered under his breath, "Besides, I hardly think General Yamamoto will go as far as to torture Inoue Orihime. We are not that barbaric."

"I agree with Ikkaku, you are watching too much….magical box?" Shūhei asked slowly before turning to Renji, and rest an elbow on the counter. "By the way, what _is_ a magical box?"

"Ah, I should have known!" a female voice shouted suddenly, and the four _shinigami_ inside the bar stared at the doorway only to see Rangiku standing there, wearing the school's uniform. Almost instantaneously Renji flushed, Shūhei practically started drooling while Ikkaku looked away. Yumichika was the only one who continued mumbling things to himself about a movie, occasionally stopping his monologue to sip a bit of water.

"What are you doing here?" Ikkaku asked as he stared at the female _shinigami_, who glared at him before making her way towards Renji.

"You tell me; I didn't know you guys were having a party. Why didn't you call me?" Rangiku asked before turning to Renji, who immediately cringed at her look, "You! You knew I was looking for something that could take me away from paperwork, and yet you didn't call me?"

"Err…it was on short notice?" Renji asked back, but he simply started laughing nervously at the expression on Rangiku's face. "It's not as if we were doing something of high importance. We were just talking about Inoue, that's all."

"And you think that's not enough reason to call me?" Rangiku asked before raising a fist, and punch Renji not so lightly on the side of his head. "Aww, I'm starting to think you don't like my company or something."

"No, on the contrary, we love to have you around." Shūhei interrupted all of a sudden, and Rangiku looked unconvinced at him. "I'm very sorry. Next time I'll make sure you're the first to know."

"Aww that's so sweet, thank you," Rangiku said in a very strange sugary tone, and while both Renji and Shūhei blushed again, Ikkaku sighed. "But for now you guys can make it up for me by getting ready to go to school."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Renji asked, "Rukia didn't tell me anything about meeting at school. What happened?"

"Beats me, Captain was the one who said he wanted to go to school." Rangiku replied with a small shrug. "He's outside by the way, so I don't think it's wise to waste any more time."

"You know, you were the one who came in here, and started whining about stupid things." Ikkaku pointed out as he stood up from his seat, "You're the one who's wasting time."

"Aww don't be mean to me, I was just hurt you guys didn't call me for this party." Rangiku pouted, but while Ikkaku tsk'ed, Renji scratched his left cheek, Shūhei watching the female _shinigami_ in silence. "But never mind, I'll wait for you outside. Don't take too long."

"Sometimes I wonder how she can be a Lieutenant." Renji mumbled under his breath as soon as Rangiku left the bar before turning to his friends. "But you heard her. Lets get dressed, and go to school."

"Man, I wish I could go as well, but I have to stay here." Shūhei said before sighing, "This is the first time I have some freedom to be in the real world, and I'm confined to a bar. That's so heartbreaking."

"You seriously need to explain why you can't leave this place later." Renji said, "But we'll come back. Make sure this place is still intact when we return."

"Actually this will be closed for a few hours. I have to go to Seireitei." Shūhei commented when his friends were about to walk towards the door. "But never mind, I'll probably be back before you know it."

* * *

The halls appeared to have been painted with shades of gold. The sun was already disappearing behind the trees while the full moon leisurely made its way towards the top of the sky. Its shade was still ashen, resembling more to a faded white than its usual silvery supremacy.

The school was practically empty, and silence ruled every corner. It was curious how the building now appeared to be abandoned when it was always bursting with life during the day.

With a scowl, Kurosaki Ichigo continued walking down the hall while holding a broom with his right hand. It was his day to clean the classroom along with Sado, who Ichigo had left in the classroom. He usually did not care much about cleaning, and he did it without much trouble, but lately all he had been wishing for a way to lose some energy.

Perhaps destroying hollows had somewhat become his way of getting rid off all the stress. Either way it did not really matter; all Ichigo wanted was to finish cleaning the classroom so that he could go home, and wait for some hollow to appear.

"I brought the broom!" Ichigo declared unenthusiastically as he opened the door of the classroom, the stick of the broom leaning against his back, but he blinked when he noticed that it was not Sado who was in the classroom. "Oh, sorry, I thought Chad was here."

"He said he needed some cloths to clean the windows." the person that was sitting on a chair commented without taking her eyes off the papers in front of her. "I apologize if I get on your way. I'll leave in a few minutes."

"Hum…I don't want to be rude, but there is a staff room." Ichigo started slowly, and navy blue eyes finally turned to him. "I hum…Don't you think you could work better there, sensei?"

"No, those teachers are everything but quiet. I cannot concentrate there." Hasu answered in a strong tone, though she was not talking as harshly as she used to during classes. "I promise I'll leave before you know it."

"Err no, I guess its fine. I'll just start from the back." Ichigo explained quickly before making his way to the back of the classroom, and he immediately started sweeping the floor. It was weird though, how his teacher seemed to prefer to stay in a classroom to be with the other teachers. But then again, he was no teacher, so he guessed that if what his teacher wanted was silence, then he was no one to stop her from being in their classroom.

However, truth to be told, her presence there bothered him. It was not as if they were in bad terms or anything; Hasu was his teacher, and as such Ichigo knew he had to respect her so that she could, in turn, respect him as well, but there was something in her that just confused him.

"Kurosaki."

"Yes?" Ichigo asked when his name echoed in his ears, and he turned his head towards his teacher. Now, he did not mean to be disrespectful but Ichigo had been unable not to glance at his teacher's legs when she crossed them, her short skirt moving as she turned to her side in order to gaze at him.

"What is your relationship with Kuchiki Rukia?" Hasu inquired out of the blue as she raised a paper, her eyes locked with its content, but for a moment Ichigo said nothing. What sort of question was that? "It says here that she lives with you. Are you two together?"

"No!" Ichigo blurred out before he could stop himself, and Hasu's dark orbs glanced at him before focusing on the paper again. "It's kind of a long story. She lost her parents when she was really young, and then her house burnt down, and…well...I couldn't live with the thought of her living on the streets, and apparently neither could my father."

"Hmm…and you're good friends with Ishida Uryū and Yasutora Sado, correct?" Ichigo nodded before he could stop himself, "Hmm, what about Inoue Orihime? How does she fit in everything?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I understand what you're asking." Ichigo said as he continued to hold the broom with his right hand, and Hasu glanced at him before looking at the paper as she put it down on the desk beside her.

"You see Kurosaki, I've never seen such a peculiar group of friends." she started, but Ichigo said nothing, "So you've taken Kuchiki in because of what happened to her, and you just said that you're friends with Yasutora and Ishida, even though I have seen the way you and Ishida treat each other. However, I do not see how someone like Inoue managed to fit in your group."

"Well, if you allow me to say this, I must quote someone who once said that true friendship is seen through the heart, not through the eyes." Ichigo stated before he could stop himself, but deep down he was beginning to feel uneasy due to the way Hasu was observing him. It was almost as if she was trying to look deep into his soul, and find all of his flaws. "Besides, we've been friends for quite some time."

"So, you do not recall what made you and Inoue become friends?" Hasu questioned as she rested her elbow on the back of her chair, but Ichigo did not even blink at the question. Before he could answer, however, Hasu lowered right leg before standing up. "Do not get me wrong, Kurosaki, I'm just….curious, that's all."

"With no intention of sounding impertinent, but I don't understand why my friends and I caught your attention." Ichigo confessed as he started sweeping the floor again. "We're pretty normal."

"Some say that being normal is overacted." Hasu declared all of a sudden, and Ichigo glanced at her, his tenseness increasing as he watched her turning her head to him, a small smile on her face. "But I promise I won't ask you things like these again."

Heck, where was Sado when you needed him?

Abruptly, the door of the classroom was opened, and both Ichigo and Hasu glanced at it. Ichigo's eyes widened as soon as he spotted a short boy with white hair, a woman with a huge bosom, a bald man, and a red haired guy. Now that could not be good…

For a moment, there was only silence as the group that was still standing outside the classroom looked from Ichigo to Hasu, back to Ichigo again.

"Friends of yours, Kurosaki?" Hasu questioned suddenly, and the said boy focused his attention on her before nodding quickly. "Maybe you can ask them to give you a hand with cleaning. I'll leave you alone."

After gathering her things, Hasu put them inside of her bag before turning around, and walk towards the door. As she walked past the group that was still in the hall, she bowed in respect before disappearing. Ichigo, on the other hand, sweatdropped when he noticed the way Rangiku and Renji were staring at him.

"Kurosaki, we have to talk." Tōshirō spoke up in his sombre tone, and Ichigo turned to him before nodding. "I'll let Matsumoto, Ikkaku and Renji fill you in. I have business to take care of. We shall talk later."

"What? You're leaving already?" Rangiku asked as she looked down at her captain, who simply turned to her before nodding. "Then why did you dress up in your uniform? Don't tell me you like it."

"I have no time to waste, we shall talk later." Tōshirō said in a harsher tenor, and Rangiku nodded at him before allowing him to walk away. Then, she looked at Ichigo, and crossed her arms against her chest.

"We have to talk," she started in a business tone as she stepped inside the classroom, close followed by everybody else. However, as soon as everyone was scattered throughout the classroom, Sado walked in, holding a few cloths in his hand.

"…What's wrong?" he asked in his quiet voice, and Rangiku rested her hands on her hips as she turned to him.

"Make yourself comfortable, because what I have to tell you is about what Seireitei is planning to do about Orihime."

On the meantime, Ukitake Jūshirō lowered his cup of tea while his seconds-in-command continued fighting each other as they both struggled to deliver a message. And to think he had actually allowed himself to believe that his tea hour would be silent and pleasant…

"And then I came he—"

"I came as soon as I could to tell you th—"

"Ah! I was here first so let me tell Captain that you ha—"

"A visitor! That's what _I_ 'm trying to say!"

"With your permission." a third voice spoke up suddenly, and Ukitake breathed in relief when he saw a shōji being pulled aside. Almost instantly, Ukitake allowed the corner of his lips to curl upwards, and he quickly informed his seconds-in-command that they were dismissed.

"Ah, the outcast has finally arrived. I was starting to wonder when you'd come to visit me." Ukitake started as he stared at his visitor, who was still sitting outside, turned to him, bowing. "I must admit I was beginning to think you'd forgotten how to come home."

"I'm sorry for not coming earlier," the guest started, and Ukitake's smile faded slightly when he saw the grave look on his visitor's face. "And I apologize because what brings me here are not good news."

"What happened?" Ukitake asked as he gently put his cup of tea on the small table beside him, his expression growing serious. "Last time, I was told everything was alright."

"Well, unfortunately fate appears to enjoy adding some twists into people's plans." the visitor started, "And I think the time for the outcast secret to be revealed has finally arrive."

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – Well, I tried to keep in mind the fact that Orihime tries to fight depression by looking at life with a wide smile on her face. I actually think that's one of her strongest traits, because it's not easy to fight against depression. And yeah, you'll see what the characters will do in order to prove that Orihime's innocent. I just hope you like it.

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_– Yes, it is quite rare to see Orihime depressed, but I just couldn't help but want to explore that side of her a little bit more. As for the teacher, she is my Original Character; the only one I added to the plot, and that does not belong to Kubo's world. As for Zaraki…well, I think you have to wait a little bit longer. Hope you don't mind.

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – Yay! You're not disappointed! And yes, Hisagi, is here! I am so happy to know you like his presence on this story. I really, really like him, and it's a shame he doesn't have many opportunities to show up in the anime and in the manga. Although, I must say I'm excited because he had his opportunity to shine in the manga recently. Oh, and thank you for the cookies D!

_**Celestial Night**_ – Well, I must say that I don't think Inoue will ever be treated as a traitor…she has been considered one, but with everything that has been going on with Aizen and such, I don't think Seireitei will think much of her. I think it would be cool if they decided to study her situation, but I'm not sure if that will happen. However, I am quite glad to know you're enjoying the story, as well as the way I'm using the characters. Some of them are quite tricky, but I promise I'll keep doing my best, and trust me, there's still a lot of drama to come.

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Ah yes, college…such a time consuming thing, is it not? Anyway, I'm glad you managed to find some time to read (and review) this story. As for the teacher, she's my character so no; you're not going to see her in the anime. I can send you a picture of her, if you want, but I'll leave that to you. Thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoyed this last chapter.


	7. Tic Tac – Time Has Passed

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

I'm really; really happy to know everyone is enjoying this story so far. I truly hope I'll manage to conquer your attention by the end of each chapter . Thanks everyone! Oh, and for those who asked for the picture of my Original Character, I shall send it to you today. See ya!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_Tic Tac – Time Has Passed_

The sun was setting in the background, offering golden shades to the walls of the bedroom as Ichigo sat down on his chair, turned to his bed. Thankfully Yuzu had decided to take Kon to her room to dress him up, and hopefully it would take a while for her to bring the stuffed animal back.

Rukia was also out, probably to go meet with Renji. Even though he had never bothered to pay much attention to that sort of thing, Ichigo had been unable not to notice how worried Rukia seemed to become every time Renji and his training came up in a conversation.

But then again, they were friends, so Ichigo knew it was normal for Rukia to be worried about her companion. He guessed that Rukia was probably feeling the same way he felt towards Orihime; concern towards their wellbeing while a promise kept drawing them to each other.

A promise…

As memories started flooding his mind, Ichigo crossed his arms behind his head, his eyes locked with the ceiling. He seriously did not know what to think anymore. He had made a promise, and accordingly to his friends he had kept his promise, but if that was true, then why did he not think the same way?

It was true; he had managed to bring everyone back from Las Noches, safe and sound despite of all the wounds and scars from lethal fights, but still…

_I…will get stronger. I'm getting stronger. Next time, I__'ll definitely….protect you._

_Kenpachi…you just said a while ago, that protecting Karakura town is my duty, wrong. My duty is to protect my friends._

As he recalled those moments, Ichigo could swear that he could hear his statements echoing through his room almost as if the walls were intoning a hex. As a reaction, Ichigo lay down on his bed, and reached out for the pillow underneath his head as he turned to his side before covering his ears with it.

And before he knew what was going on, Ichigo found himself returning back in time to a moment he had never expected to go through…

"_Inoue…" Ichigo panted as he fell on his knees, the tip of his sword blade embedded in the ground for support. Blood was still rushing down from some of his wounds, resembling to cursed rivers while pain consumed his limbs like clouds conquering the clear sky. It was painful to breathe, and it was proving to be extremely agonizing to curl the corner of his lips upwards. "A-Are you…okay?"_

"_Kurosaki-kun…" Inoue whispered before rushing to his side, and fall on her knees. Without even voicing it, Ayame and __Shun'ō__ emerged from her hairpins "Why...?"_

"_I…I made…a promise…" Ichigo wheezed as he finally allowed for tiredness to conquer his body, and with a groan he fell forward, right into Orihime's waiting arms. "Sorry…it took me so long…"_

"_Sōten Kisshun,"__ whispered Orihime, and both Ayame and __Shun'ō__ flew towards Ichigo before forming a half-oval barrier around the exhausted boy. "Kurosaki-kun, I…I…"_

_"It's okay…Inoue, we'll…be home soon…" Ichigo interrupted her, and Orihime closed her hands into tight fists when he tried to offer her a small smile. "…I just need to…rest for a little bit…"_

_"Kurosaki-kun, I…" even though all he wanted was to close his eyes, and allow his body to finally start relaxing as it was healed, Ichigo continued staring at her. "I…I…"_

_"You know you don't have to…thank me, Inoue." Ichigo panted, and Orihime's eyes meet his. "I promised you that I'd…protect you…"_

_"I want to stay here!"_

Ichigo could still recall the shock that had run through his aching body at her words. He could still remember how he had stared at Orihime for what had appeared to be an eternity, as he struggled to understand why on earth she would want to stay in Las Noches when everybody had almost given their lives up to make sure she was brought back to the real world.

_I have to stay here! I have to destroy the Hougyoku! Please, forgive me, but I can't go!_

Of course he had forgiven her, though he never expressed that out-loud. He had actually felt moved by her determination to be the one to destroy the Hougyoku; in fact he had never expected that someone such as Orihime would actually want to do something so lethal.

But it had been for the fact that Ichigo knew that Orihime was never to stain her hands that he had waited for the moment when his body was healed to get up from the ground, and grab her. Without thinking about what he was doing, Ichigo, for the second time, had carried Orihime on his shoulder.

This time, however, she had struggled to get free of his grip, which never happened…

An unexpected noise forced Ichigo to snap from his thoughts, and he stared at his _shinigami_ badge, which was lying on his desk. With a sigh, he sat up on his bed, and grabbed the emblem before leaning it against his chest.

Then, after making sure that it looked as if his body was sleeping comfortably on his bed, Ichigo opened the window of his room, and jumped. It was time to hunt down some hollows, and hopefully find some peace of mind.

* * *

The sweet scent of chocolate was hovering through all over the house, as the soft hum from the oven continued echoing through the empty halls. A luminescent light was blessing the darkening hall coming from the kitchen as Inoue Orihime continued wandering through the same division, opening and closing the doors of some kitchen-cabinets.

Since she had already finished her homework, and it was too cold to go outside (not to mention that the sun was already setting, taking away the remaining specks of warmth of the day), Orihime had decided to spend some time in the kitchen. And alas, when she had found an old recipe in the back of one of the drawers, she had unable to resist it._  
_

And thus, chocolate cookies had been born.

As she smiled to herself, Orihime approached the oven, and stared through the dark glass door. She still had to wait around three more minutes before the cookies were ready. She had found it rather dull to follow the recipe and it had been very complicated for her not to add her own special touch, but this time she had decided that she could give it a try.

Besides, she could add her touch after the cookies were done.

As her smile widened in cheerfulness, Orihime straightened up, and grabbed the kettle that she had put on the kitchen table. Cookies and tea; hopefully Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku would enjoy that little snack as well.

As she put the kettle on the stove, Orihime grabbed two cloths, and bent on her knees in order to check the cookies again. When she noticed that they were ready, Orihime shut the oven off, and gently took the cookies from inside. A warm wave of sugary scent spread throughout the kitchen, and Orihime took a deep breath, smiling at the fragrance.

It was when Orihime was about to start putting the cookies on a plate that the front door was opened, and she turned her head towards the doorway of the kitchen. Voices immediately started echoing through the house, shattering the silence in a matter of seconds.

_"Oh, what's this delicious smell?" _Rangiku's voice asked from the hall, and moments later the said _shinigami _walked inside the kitchen, her eyes finding the source of the aroma almost immediately. "Oh look, Orihime made cookies!"

"H-Hello Matsumoto-san," Orihime greeted as she smiled at the newcomer, before motioning to the cookies with a hand. "These are still hot, but they'll probably be okay to eat as soon as tea is ready."

"Oh, I can't wait!" Rangiku exclaimed excitedly, and Orihime smiled at her before noticing that Rukia and Renji were standing by the doorway.

"Oh, hello." she greeted still with the same smile, but Rukia simply smiled back at her while Renji waved a hand in a silent greeting. It was also then that Orihime noticed that someone was missing, and she started glancing around. "Hum, where's Tōshirō-kun?"

"Ah, he decided he had to go take care of something." Rangiku answered as she waved a hand in dismiss, "In my opinion he just decided to leave all the hard work to me, and decided to go for a walk."

"Do you think it's wise to say that sort of thing about your captain?" Renji asked as he stepped inside the kitchen, and Orihime stepped backwards when he suddenly appeared beside her, his eyes locked with the warm cookies. "You never know when he may sneak up on you."

"Ah, he can't punish me for saying the truth." Rangiku pointed out before glancing at Rukia, who was now standing beside her. "What do you think?"

"I think that Captain Hitsugaya will force you to take care of all paperwork if he hears you saying such things about him." Rukia pointed out, before turning to Orihime. "Inoue, do you mind if Renji and I stay here for an hour or so? I need to talk to him, but I can't possibly do it in Ichigo's house."

"Oh, hmm sure, you can stay in the living-room if you want." Orihime answered, after a few seconds in silence. "We won't interrupt you, but I will take you something to eat as soon as tea is ready."

"Thank you, Inoue, I promise it won't take more than an hour." Rukia thanked, but Orihime simply smiled at her. Then, without wasting any more time, Rukia grabbed the back of Renji's yellow t-shirt, and started dragging him out of the kitchen.

"_Oooh_, the love quarrel is about to begin!" Rangiku exclaimed animatedly as soon as Rukia and Renji were out of the kitchen. Then, she turned to the orange haired girl behind her, hands clasped in front of her chin. "Ne, Orihime-chan, what do you say if we go eavesdrop for a tiny bit?"

"Err; I don't think we should do that." Orihime answered, and she smiled nervously when she noticed the eager look on Rangiku's face. "They probably have something personal to talk about, so…"

"Which is exactly why we have to eavesdrop," Rangiku interjected before turning to a kitchen-cabinet, and open it. After a few seconds, she was holding two empty glasses. "C'mon, just for a few seconds. I wanna see if Renji finally confesses!"

"Huh?" was all Orihime had time to utter because Rangiku immediately grabbed her wrist, and started dragging her out of the kitchen, "Ah, Matsumoto-san! The tea!"

Meanwhile, both Renji and Rukia were sitting in the living-room, facing each other. Rukia looked extremely serious, her eyes locked with Renji's form, while the male _shinigami_ was staring confusedly back at her, expecting for her to explain what was going on.

"So…?" Renji started, but he jumped slightly in surprise when Rukia cut him off unexpectedly.

"Don't you 'so' me! Do you have any idea of what you've been doing?" Rukia asked, anger visible in her words, but Renji simply blinked at her questions. "Do have you any idea of what you're doing to yourself?"

"Hum Rukia, what are you talking about?" the man asked back in confusion, and he blinked again when he noticed Rukia's eyebrow twitching. For a moment he felt horror control his limbs; when Rukia's eyebrow twitched it meant that things were very, very bad…

"You idiot! How can you possibly not even be aware of what you're doing?" Rukia finally burst, and Renji mentally cowered at her voice. "I talked with Urahara-san, and I know what you've been doing in his basement!"

"I have been training in his basement, with Chad, but you already knew that!" Renji pointed out, not really understanding what was going on. "Why are you behaving like this?"

"Because I know how hard you're pushing yourself when you train!" Rukia exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Renji was about to retort, but he closed his mouth when Rukia pointed a finger at him. "Urahara-san told me about your injuries. He told me sometimes it looks as if you're trying to kill yourself!"

"He's overreacting, just like you are right now." Renji started, his hands resting on his folded legs. "Good grief, Rukia, you know very well that I'm training so that I can overcome my current level."

"Yes, but you don't have to commit suicide on the way!" Rukia interrupted, and Renji blinked at her choice of words. "And you're dragging Chad as well. Do you have any idea of what may happen if you keep doing this?"

"Nothing will happen, because we're training, nothing else." Renji started, "What on earth possessed you to think I'm trying to kill myself and Chad? That makes no sense whatsoever."

"It makes no sense whatsoever?" Rukia repeated, and Renji was unable not to notice how her once harsh tone became low and soft. Uh-oh; that was the warning he had forgotten about…that was the calm before the storm… "It makes no sense whatsoever?!"

"Well yeah, beca—"

"You are impossible!" Rukia cried out all of a sudden, and Renji had to stop himself from cringing at her tone. "I thought Ichigo was the stupid one, but heavens, you two are too damn alike!"

"What does Kurosaki have to do with anything?" Renji asked, but when Rukia stood up and threw him a gelid look, he knew he was in trouble. "Rukia…"

"Don't you 'Rukia' me. I refuse to talk to you until you understand how much of an idiot you're being right now." the female _shinigami_ cut short, and Renji mentally sighed. Since when did Kuchiki Rukia suffer from major mood-swings?

"C'mon Rukia, you know that I—"

Renji was interrupted once again, but this time by the sounds of two different cell-phones. For a moment he could swear he had heard a third cell-phone ringing not too far from the living-room, but he ignored it when Rukia spoke up.

"We have problems." she started, and Renji grabbed his cell-phone before looking down at the screen. It was hollows…too many hollows… "We have to go. Ichigo won't be able to handle so many on his own."

At that Renji nodded, but instead of waiting for him, Rukia turned around, and made her way towards the closed door. Quickly, Rukia opened the door, and three different shouts echoed through the house. Without thinking twice, Renji run towards the doorway, but stopped his tracks at what he saw.

Both Rangiku and Orihime were on the floor, on their backs, while Rukia was on top of them. The three of them were groaning in pain due to the unexpected collision, but Renji could not help but sigh when he looked away from Rukia, and glanced at Rangiku.

He should have known…

* * *

There were approximately one hundred hollows, though many had already been destroyed while others kept emerging from everywhere. Ishida, Sado, Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, and Rangiku were already taking care of them while Tōshirō Hitsugaya continued jumping from roof to roof, ignoring the commotion that surrounded him.

Occasionally he would spot Ishida's arrows at the distance, and even though he knew it was his job as a captain to help out with the hollows, truth was that at the moment other thing needed to be taken cared of. Besides, if he managed to take care of that priority then he would have all the time in the world to help his companions with the hollows.

Before he knew it, Tōshirō was standing in the middle of a deserted park, the wind singing a gentle melody at same time it danced with the leaves of the trees. Slowly, he started wandering around, his eyes locked with the lake that was in the middle of the park.

He did not understand why he had walked to that place, but he guessed it had something to do with a very vague memory that had surfaced from the back of his head. It had something to do with water…

When he walked around a rather strong and tall tree, Tōshirō finally found what he had been looking for. As he moved, he roamed his eyes up and down the figure he had just found, drinking in every detail of the _shinigami_ outfit the person was wearing. He should have known…

"You used a bait to draw all of those hollows, didn't you?" Tōshirō asked swiftly as he stopped a few feet away from the other _shinigami, _his hands stuffed inside his jeans pockets. "Why did you attract them?"

"Well, I decided there was no point to stay hidden when you had already seen me," the _shinigami _answered without looking away from the lake, the wind playing with long black streaks. "And this is just a game, you know? It's nothing life threatening."

"I beg to differ; to have more than one hundred hollows wandering through the city will most likely put the civilians in danger." Tōshirō retorted, a frown on his face. "I should have investigated it when I sensed that someone else was here. Why did you come to the real world?"

"Well, at the beginning I didn't want to come, but when my captain ordered me to do so, I couldn't decline." the _shinigami _answered without turning around, "And I guess I was a bit enthusiastic about seeing the real world."

"You still haven't answered my question." Tōshirō pointed out, his frown deepening as seconds passed. "Why are you here? Why did your captain ordered you to come to the real world?"

"Well, that would be Urahara-san's fault." the _shinigami _started, and for the first time since the beginning of that conversation, Tōshirō allowed himself to blink in confusion. "He informed Captain Ukitake that he was a tad tired of having to deal with so many problems, and that he needed a hand to fix some misunderstandings."

"You mean you are here because Urahara asked for…some help?" Tōshirō asked as he raised an eyebrow very slightly, but a chuckle was all that answered him. "Don't laugh; don't forget you're in the presence of a captain, and as such, I deserve explanations about what has been going on."

"I'm sorry, Captain Hitsugaya, I didn't mean to be insolent." the _shinigami _apologized, "And to be honest, I had planned to inform you about my presence ever since the beginning. My orders, however, forbid me of doing so."

"So, you just decided to come forth because I just happened to stumble upon your secret." Tōshirō declared, and the other _shinigami _nodded in reply. Unhurriedly, Tōshirō took his hands from inside his pockets and crossed his arms against his chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here because I was supposed to be an outcast," the _shinigami _answered, and slowly a pair of navy-blue eyes met a pair of cyan orbs. "I'm here because I was chosen to be the one who will observe and help judging Inoue Orihime."

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**Celestial Night**_ – And the new chapter is on! Ah, the beauty of already having the story finished XD Like you; I think Kudo won't ever treat Orihime like a traitor, which is exactly why I thought I should give this story an opportunity. And hey, I'm glad I did! Thank you a lot for everything, and I hope you keep enjoying this story.

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – So, have all your questions been answered by this chapter? As you can see, Tōshirō enjoys doing what you never expect him to do. As for Hasu's pictures, I shall send them sometime to day, promise!

_**Renji's Girll**_– Indeed, I agree, but apparently in this story Sereitei doesn't agree with us. Damn bastards…

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_– Well, it's hard not to include Orihime's tendency to smile no matter what happens in the story. If I didn't include that trait of hers, I think I would be most likely taking away her essence. As for the puzzle that surrounds the story so far…well, I think most of your doubts will be answered quite soon, I just hope you like them )


	8. Alone We Are Silent

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

You know, I think I should tell you again that this story has a (what I believe to be) steady pace. Therefore, do not expect Ichigo and Orihime to confess their feelings to each other after having an epiphany nor to start dating overnight because I simply cannot see that happen. I know most of you are IchiHime fans, like me, but I really hope you'll accept the pace of this story.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Alone We Are Silent_

Noiselessly, Yasutora Sado glanced around him, taking in the dishevelled condition of those who were around him. Fighting hollows was a duty that they all accomplished in a heartbeat, but no matter what they were still powerless when it came to combat fatigue. Of course that some looked more tired than others, but exhaustion was obviously kicking in.

After all, fighting over one hundred hollows in one single afternoon was no easy task no matter what people said.

"Alright, drinks all around!" Shūhei exclaimed suddenly from behind the counter, but instead of standing up from his chair, Sado watched as all of his friends rushed towards their drinks. It was only after making sure that no one would try to run over him that Sado stood up, and wordlessly walked towards the counter.

"Thank you," was all Sado said as he reached out for his juice, but Shūhei simply waved a hand, noiselessly dismissing any expression of gratitude. From beside Sado, emerged Ishida, who also grabbed his juice before nodding at Shūheiin an unspoken 'thank you'.

"So, does any of you know what that was all about?" Renji asked as he returned to his seat, Rukia following him closely, "I mean; something must be going on. Hollows don't appear in such high number without a reason."

"It was almost as if they had been called." Rukia commented as she rested her index finger against her chin, in a thinking pose, and Renji gazed at her. "It was almost as if someone had used some sort of bait."

"That is quite possible." Ishida agreed as he put his juice down on the table, "I used bait when I first met Kurosaki. Hollows were draw to it, and it kept us busy for quite some time. However, if the hollows were lured here then someone must have been behind it. The question is, who?"

"Now that you mention it, I don't know where Captain is." Rangiku spoke out of the blue before taking a long sip of her saké, and then she sighed, "I don't understand what's going on. He wouldn't just abandon us."

"Maybe something happened," Ikkaku mumbled with a small shrug, "Either way, we need to start focusing on what's going on. It can't be Aizen, so we ought to try to figure out what's going on."

"Oh, we could try to find some clues!" Yumichika exclaimed abruptly as he continued to hold his cup of saké, "I saw that in a show, you know? They'd gather all sorts of clues, and find the suspect at the end."

"I don't think it will be that simple. We don't really have any clue to begin with." Renji pointed out, "Things don't make sense, and since we don't really even know where to start…well, do you think we should contact Seireitei?"

"There's no need for that." a new voice spoke up, and everyone turned to the front door of the bar only to see Tōshirō standing there, arms crossed against his chest. "They won't tell you anything."

"Captain, where were you?" Rangiku asked as she stood up from her seat, still holding her cup filled with saké, but Tōshirō simply walked inside the bar, a frown on his face. "You really need to stop disappearing like that. I was worried."

Suddenly, a small bark forced everyone to look at Tōshirō's feet, and everybody blinked at the sight of a white puppy, that was waving its tail quite excitedly. Its left ear was light brown along with its front right leg, which matched with its eyes.

A small gasp forced Sado to glance to his side, and he silently took in the way Orihime was staring at the puppy. As he gazed to his other side, Sado noticed that Ishida continuously looked at Orihime and the puppy, almost as if he knew the reason behind Orihime's bewilderment.

"Tōshirō-kun, you…you found the puppy!" Orihime exclaimed unexpectedly as she stood up from the chair, and before someone could stop her, she rushed towards the puppy before gathering it in her arms. "Aw, where did you keep it?"

"First of all, it's Captain Hitsugaya, and secondly, that's not mine." Tōshirō replied as his right eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but Orihime simply continued to hold the puppy, a wide smile on her face. Rangiku did not take long to rush to the girl's side, and start playing with the puppy as well.

"Tōshirō, where did you go?" Ichigo inquired from his seat beside Ishida, and the Captain from the tenth division twitched in irritation again. "I mean, you could have showed up to give us a hand with all those hollows."

"I had something important to take care of," Tōshirō replied, arms still crossed against his chest, and then he glared at Ichigo. "And how many times do I have to tell you? It's _Captain _Hitsugaya for you."

"Ah, don't tell me…" Rangiku handed the puppy back to Orihime before turning to Tōshirō, a wide smile on her face. "Ohhh, you did! You had a date didn't you? Who's the lucky girl?"

For a moment, there was only silence in the bar, and Rangiku quickly started gazing at all of her friends.

"What?"

"Matsumoto…" Tōshirō growled in a ferocious tone, and his Lieutenant immediately started laughing nervously before dashing towards Ikkaku, and hide behind him. It was also then that a silhouette appeared by the door, and a chuckle broke the tension that was beginning to spring in the middle of the four walls.

"It's nice to see that some things just don't change." a female voice commented suddenly, and everybody's eyes and mouths dropped when they recognized the newcomer, "Especially you, Rangiku; still easy-going as usual."

At those words, Sado found himself sharing a look with Ichigo, Ishida and Orihime. All of them were too gobsmacked to even try to process what was going on properly, or to even say something. However, all of that changed, when Orihime breathed an 'ah!'.

"Shinkai-sensei!" the orange haired girl exclaimed with a hint of surprise in her voice as he continued holding the puppy in her arms, and she quickly blinked. "What are you doing here? How can you see this place?"

"What the hell is going on?!" Ichigo blurred out, and he stood up from his chair with a small jump before turning to Tōshirō at same time he pointed at his teacher. "What the hell is she doing here?"

"Careful Kurosaki, no matter where we are, I'm still your teacher, and I can make you pay for your insolence with a snap of my fingers." Hasu warned with her strong voice, and Ichigo frowned at her tone. "And restrain yourself from referring to me as if I'm not present."

"Shinkai-sensei, I'm sorry, but…" Ishida started as he also got up from his chair, his drink long forgotten, and he pushed his glasses up his nose. "May you explain to us how and why you're here?"

"Are you also spiritually aware?" Sado questioned suddenly, still sitting down on his seat, but before Hasu could part her lips to reply Shūhei chuckled, which forced everyone to turn to him.

"Took you long enough." he started, and everyone blinked at his statement before turning to Hasu in time to see her rolling her eyes. "Captain Ukitake informed me that you met him when everyone saw you at school. I thought you'd show up earlier."

"Unlike you, I try to keep a low profile." Hasu retorted as she crossed her arms against her chest, but Shūhei simply grinned at her. "I decided to appear now, because it made no sense to continue working undercover when everyone was already aware of my presence."

"Eh? Does that mean we saw each other before?" Rangiku asked abruptly, and Hasu stared at her before nodding. "What? When did that happen? I don't remember seeing you—"

"Matsumoto…" Tōshirō growled swiftly, and his Lieutenant blinked in puzzlement. "You two saw each other when we went to school to talk to Kurosaki Ichigo. She's the reason why I didn't help you with the hollows."

"Say, what are you doing here, anyway?" Ikkaku asked as he continued resting on his seat, "Last time I talked to you, you said you had no free time."

"Captain Ukitake and Urahara-san are to blame." Hasu answered, looking rather bored, "Before I knew what was going on, Captain was ordering me to come to the real world along with Hisagi Shūhei."

"Captain?" Ichigo repeated as he rose an eyebrow, and Hasu nodded as she looked at him with her deep eyes, "Who's your Captain? And how come I never saw you while I was at Seireitei?"

"I can answer that." Rukia spoke up as she walked to Renji's side, and everyone turned to her, "Her name, as you know, is Shinkai Hasu. She's the eleventh division fourth's seat."

"Eleventh…?" Ichigo trailed off as he widened his eyes in shock and horror, and he turned to his teacher in time to see her lips curling up into a knowing smirk. "You mean…your Captain is Zaraki Kenpachi?"

* * *

A small giggle forced Ichigo to snap out from his reverie, and the young man looked to his side only to notice that Orihime was playing with the puppy that Tōshirō had brought. It was somewhat refreshing to see a smile on the girl's face, on contrary of the frown she had used to carry in the past. Ichigo still did not know what had made Orihime return to her usual self, but now that she had, he could not help but be glad.

After all, even though he would never admit it out loud, Ichigo had to admit that Orihime was a very important piece in their group. On contrary of everybody else, Orihime had managed to maintain her kind-heartedness and her purity even though she had spent quite some time locked up in Las Noches.

However, Ichigo sometimes wondered if Orihime was aware of how important she was to everyone. He knew she still blamed herself for what was going on, and that she occasionally believed that she was too weak, but Ichigo found all those thoughts absolutely absurd.

After all, if it were not for her smile, Ichigo doubted some of his friends would still be there.

"I wonder how Tōshirō-kun managed to keep you a secret…" Orihime mused in a soft tone, and Ichigo could not help but smirk when a small giggle abandoned her lips since the puppy was now trying to lick her fingers. "I'm glad you don't hate me for leaving you the other day."

"He's cute." Sado commented suddenly as he appeared beside the girl, and he bent down when the puppy turned to him, and tried to bit his boots. "But I don't think Captain Hitsugaya's the one taking care of him."

"Eh? Why do you say that?" Orihime questioned as she looked at her tall friend, and Ishida took the cue to step forth, and push his glasses up his nose at same time he cleared his throat.

"I'd say the puppy belongs to Shinkai-sensei." he summarized, and Orihime blinked at his words, but Ishida quickly continued, "But that's not the most important at the moment. I think we should focus about why Shinkai-sensei is in our world."

"She's from Kenpachi's division." Ichigo mumbled as he focused his attention in the sky, "Man, I knew something was going on the moment she stepped in our classroom. I knew I was right to suspect about the way she kept looking at me."

"You know Kurosaki; the world doesn't revolve around you." Ishida stated, and Ichigo immediately twitched in irritation. "Stop flattering yourself. There's no proof that Shinkai-sensei came here because of you."

"What are you trying to say? That she came here because of you?" Ichigo asked, but even though Ishida opened his mouth to reply, the voice that echoed through the air was not his.

"I think she came here because of Inoue."

At her name, Orihime looked away from the puppy to gaze at Sado, who was still staring at the animal. For a moment, she focused all of her attention on the words that had just been uttered before sadness started to pull her into an unpleasantly cold embrace.

She did not know for how long that was going to continue, but she mentally prayed that everything would be over soon. She really despised the fact that because of her no one was allowed to return to their normal routine.

_…I kidnapped her, in order to unsettle Soul Society, and lead them to turn their attention to reinforcing Soul Society's own defences rather than those of the human world._

When those words echoed through her mind, Orihime forced herself to close her eyes shut at same time she took a deep breath. Heavens, she wished she knew what she could do in order to put an end to all that. She wished she knew what she could do in order to offer her friends the freedom they deserved…

Perhaps, she could go to Seireitei…

"You better not be thinking about doing something stupid."

"Eh?" was Orihime's bright reply as she opened her eyes, and looked at Ichigo, only to notice that he was staring at her. The expression on his face, however, was enough to inform her that he knew what she was thinking about.

"This isn't your fault, Inoue-san." Ishida continued, and Orihime turned to him, unable to utter a word. "Besides, we are friends, are we not? Friends are supposed to help one another."

"Yes, but—"

"I wonder what they're talking about." Ichigo interrupted abruptly, and Orihime glanced at him in time to see the boy staring at the closed door behind him. The four of them were standing outside Bleach Bar, doing their best to ignore the looks that those who were walking on the streets sent them.

Even though he wanted to agree with Ishida, Ichigo found it impossible to do so. Occasionally he would feel the need to try and comfort Orihime, but every time he thought about that possibility, he would feel himself withdrawing from her. Ichigo never understood why, but he guessed that it had something to do with himself.

He had never been good talking to girls. Tatsuki was an exception because they were childhood friends, and Tatsuki was too much of a tomboy to make him feel nervous. Then there was Rukia, the only person that Ichigo felt at easy enough to confide in, and who was always around when he needed any sort of encouragement.

And then there was Inoue Orihime…

"_WHAT?"_

At that voice, the four friends that were standing outside stared behind them directly at the door of the bar. However, before one of them could react, the front door was opened only to reveal an exasperated Rukia and a puzzled Renji.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked as he looked at Renji and Rukia, but it was then that both Rangiku and Tōshirō emerged from behind the two other _shinigami_. However, on contrary of Rukia and Renji, the Captain and Lieutenant from the tenth division did not look any different than usual. "What happened?"

"S-She…" Rukia started, and everyone watched as she started to tremble in range until she finally allowed her anger to consume her like a volcano in eruption, "Ah, you have to be kidding! I'm not going to be her student!"

"What? What?" Ichigo asked in confusion as he stared at Rukia as if she had gone crazy, "Who is going to be your teacher?"

"I explained why I was here," Hasu started as she appeared from behind Tōshirō along with Shūhei, "Kuchiki-san didn't like it."

"You bet I don't like it!" Rukia interjected as she twirled around on her heels to face Hasu, but she quieted down when she found herself staring at Rangiku's chest since the tall woman was behind her. Quickly, Rukia tore her eyes away from Rangiku's breasts, and turned to Hasu, "Why you of all people?"

"Careful Kuchiki-san…" Hasu warned before allowing her voice to trail off, and Rukia immediately scoffed at her tone before crossing her arms against her chest. "Now if you excuse me, I need to have a word with Hisagi and Ikkaku."

"Shinkai," Tōshirō called out as he looked behind his shoulder, and the said _shinigami _glanced at him before nodding in silent agreement. Everybody else simply watched them exchange unvoiced statements until Hasu glanced at the whole group one last time before stepping inside of the bar.

"Remember to show up again!" Shūhei exclaimed with a quick wave before going after Hasu. It was only when the door of the bar was closed, though, that everyone turned to Tōshirō, silently asking him to explain what was going on.

"It doesn't matter," Tōshirō announced, noticing the way everyone was looking at him, but when he was about to walk away, Orihime's voice forced him to stop.

"Ne, Tōshirō-kun, what are you going to do about the puppy?" she asked as she raised the puppy she was holding with both her hands in the air, "Does it have a name? I think you should call him Shiro."

At that, everyone turned to Tōshirō, waiting for the moment when he would finally snap, but he surprised everyone by simply sighing. Orihime, on the other hand, giggled when the puppy started barking, but she quickly turned to her housemates again.

"Ne, Tōshirō-kun, how did you manage to hide him all this time?" she asked as they started walking, and this time the Captain of the tenth division stopped his tracks, and Rangiku blinked in confusion when she noticed his eyebrow twitching.

"Shinkai!"

* * *

Only the light from the emergency line had the capability and power to take over the shadows of that room. On the other side of the screen was non-other than Captain Ukitake himself, with a tired yet pleased smile on his face. Inside the room, facing the huge screen was Captain Tōshirō, still dressed in his school uniform.

"I apologize for not informing you about fourth seat Shinkai Hasu." Ukitake started in his calm tone, but the other Captain said nothing. "As you probably already know, it was not my idea to send her and Lieutenant Hisagi. However, it was I who asked for fourth seat Shinkai not to reveal herself until it was necessary."

"I did find weird when I sensed that someone was here, aside from Hisagi," Tōshirō recognized in a serious tone, "But that's not why I requested to talk to you. I want you to explain me why you have chosen her of all people."

"Ah, that was Urahara's idea, really." Ukitake started, the smile never leaving his face, and he shrugged slightly, "I believe it has to do with the fact that Shinkai-san has no attachments to those who live in the real world. We needed someone who would not be easily influenced."

"She's from the eleventh division…"

"Hence why she was chosen," Ukitake replied good-naturally, and an exhausted face took over Tōshirō's facial expression, "But don't worry. You have no need to be suspicious of her. Shinkai-san knows exactly what to do, and when to return."

"She used a special bait to draw hollows to the town." Tōshirō declared, his usual serious expression back to his face and voice, "I do believe I have to keep an eye on her, not only because of her way of dealing with things, but also because of the reason why she's here."

"Don't worry so much, she'll be fine." Ukitake answered still with a smile on his face, but a grave look quickly conquered his eyes. "However, there is another thing that I need to talk to you."

"Inoue Orihime." Tōshirō identified the topic, and Ukitake nodded before adding.

"And her potential trial..."

**To Be Continued…**

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_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – I'm so glad you're enjoying the story And yes! I can't wait for the manga to develop even more. All the fights are really cool, but I can't wait until Ulquiorra, Ichigo and Orihime are (finally) back XD. Thank you for everything, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

_**Celestial Night**_ – Actually, even though most of my stories have Romance as main genre, I admit: I really suck when it comes to that (sweatdrops). I'm more interested in Drama and Angst, so every time I have to write a more romantic scene…well, I always get worried that it may not be good. In this story, I decided that too much romance would not be good, because I'm trying to follow the manga/anime. I really hope you're still enjoying this story and that the no-longer unknown characters still interest you )

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – Yes, I love little Shiro as well; I mean, who doesn't? So, trust me, you'll hear more about him in this story . As for the OC…I guess you've finally found the answer you were looking for. Just hope it was worth waiting for!

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Hello! I'm so happy to know you're enjoying the way the chapters are written. I try to throw some humour once-in-a-while so that the story doesn't become too…I don't know, depressing. I'm relieved to know that Rangiku is in character (there are so many different characters in Bleach it's even frightening!), and hopefully she stays that way D

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – Soooo, any thoughts about the mysterious person?

_**PaN-cHaN862005**_ – I hope this was soon enough


	9. Waves Conquering the Skies

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

I'm so happy to know that most of you have welcomed Hasu, and actually enjoy her attitude. I thought it was fit for her to have a very austere personality due to the fact that she makes part of Zaraki's division. I really hope you like the role she plays on this story. And by the way, I was wondering, since this story is finished, would you like for me to write a sequel? I know some people are not fan of those, hence why I'm asking you. So…any thoughts?

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Waves Conquering the Skies_

Things pretty much went downhill ever since Shinkai Hasu had revealed herself to everyone. In classes, she still held her authoritative pose, her judicious eyes always staring at Ichigo or at one of his friends. Rukia had, more than once, voiced her dislike about the arrangement that had been done, and by now everyone agreed with her.

Outside classes, people barely saw Hasu. They all knew she was close to them, after all, they could sense her, but rare were the opportunities they would have of spotting her. Ishida often declared that they were only able to see Hasu because she allowed them to, and not because they could do it. Needless to say that Rukia had almost strangled the last Quincy when she heard that.

Other thing that was bothering the group was the fact that one by one all of them were being called to Seireitei for interrogatory. Up until that moment Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichika had been called forth, but only Renji had bothered to fill everybody else afterwards. Accordingly to what he had said, it seemed that people from Seireitei were only trying to find out more about Orihime.

"I bet they're trying to find out if we all think the same way." Rukia had commented after thinking about what Renji had told them, "They're probably trying to figure out through us if Inoue had any reason to go to Las Noches on her own free will."

It was also useless to say that no one enjoyed Seireitei's tactic. While they were called, one by one, to go to Soul Society, Orihime was forced to stay on the sidelines, watching how the decision that would affect her future continued to roll past her.

"Ne, ne, Shiro, here's your milk." Orihime announced as she trotted towards the small puppy that was having fun with a small ball, close to the fridge, "What do you say if I give you something else to eat? Hum…what about red beans?"

Instead of answering her, the puppy immediately run towards the plate filled with milk, and Orihime could not help but giggle at the animal's behaviour. Slowly, she sat down on the kitchen floor, and cuddled the puppy on the head before gazing at the ceiling, the corner of her lips still curled upwards.

Even though Tōshirō had expressed that the puppy was not his, she and Rangiku had managed to convince him to let the dog stay. Orihime had become aware that the puppy belonged to her History of Japanese Language teacher, but since Hasu had not told her anything concerning the puppy, Orihime guessed that she was free to stay with it for the time being.

And deep down Orihime was quite glad that she was allowed to stay with Shiro; with everything that was going on, she could not help but feel as if she was a burden again. She was aware that everyone was being called to go to Seireitei because of her, and she knew that sooner or later she herself would have to go there as well.

She just could not help but wish all that could end soon.

"Shun'ō…" Orihime called out all of a sudden, and in a matter of seconds a fairy-like creature appeared in front of the girl's eyes, "You know…I was thinking…do you guys want to train for a little bit?"

"Well, that's up to you." Shun'ō answered with a small shrug, and before Orihime knew what was going on, five other fairy-like creatures appeared in front of her, floating in the air. "Are you up to it?"

"She should be; she hasn't trained for ages." Tsubaki complained as he crossed his arms against his chest, "It's shameful! Her aim is probably worst now! If you don't know how to fight, it's your fault, lazy bum!"

"Will you stop tormenting her?" Shun'ō reprimanded as she flew towards Tsubaki, and smacked him not so lightly on the shoulder, "You know what she has been through. It's not our place to blame her for not being able to train lately."

"Ah, whatever, she lacks the anger and killing intent anyway." Tsubaki growled, but when Orihime was about to retort he turned to her, and pointed a finger at her, "But that doesn't mean you can continue to be this weak! Do something other than moping around, woman! It's annoying!"

"I know, but I—"

"Let her be, people can't all evolve at same time." Shun'ō started as she now stood beside Ayame, who, along with Baigon, Hinagiku and Lily nodded in silent agreement. "Orihime isn't like all the others, and that makes her special."

"Special my as—" Tsubaki was unable to continue because Rangiku suddenly emerged from the hall, holding a bag of chips. Without exchanging a word, Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka disappeared back into the girl's hairpins.

"Ne, Orihime, what are you doing on the floor?" Rangiku asked as she stared down at the younger girl, her head entitled to the side, and Orihime looked up at her. "Are you alright?"

"A-ah, yes, I'm just making Shiro some company!" Orihime exclaimed before laughing nervously, but Rangiku simply blinked at her behaviour. "Ah, hum…do you need anything, Rangiku-san? I prepared some tea a while ago."

"Ah thank you, but I actually wanted to talk to you." Rangiku started, but when Orihime was about to stand up, the _shinigami _made a sign with a hand, indicating that she could stay where she was. "You see, I'm worried about you."

"Eh? Why?"

"Ah, don't try to fool me, Orihime, because I'm not stupid." Rangiku warned, and when Orihime looked away, she took the chance to sit down beside the girl, "First there's your sudden mood-swing, and then all those moments when you grow depressed when you think no one's looking."

"Ah, that—"

"I thought I had made it clear when I first arrived here that you can talk to me any time you want." Rangiku continued, and Orihime looked at her, "I told you once that you can drown all of your sorrows in my chest. Just stop pretending things are alright when they aren't."

For a moment, Orihime simply continued staring at Rangiku, who took the chance to eat a bunch of potato chips, humming as she did so. Then, Orihime glanced at Shiro that had started playing with the small ball again before allowing a sigh to abandon her lips.

"You know, Rangiku-san…" she started in a quiet voice, and Rangiku stopped munching on her chips, "I…I'm really sorry for all the trouble I'm causing you, and I…if I could, I would try to resolve this on my own, but…"

Orihime focused her attention on the white ceiling of the kitchen, aware of Rangiku's eyes on her.

"Now I just want this to end." the girl admitted, "I know everyone is waiting to see if I still have some sort of association with Aizen, but I'm also aware that they are doing this because they want to make sure you're all safe. That's why I'm trying so hard to stay positive; I know that this is already tiring for everyone, so I…I'm doing what I can to make sure I don't do something that can affect the situation."

"Yes, I knew you were being silly." Rangiku commented unexpectedly, and Orihime turned to her in confusion. "I'm not going to pretend this whole thing isn't tiring, but I don't think you should lie to us. If you want to cry then cry; if you want to scream then scream. If you want to tell Ichigo that you love him, then tell him."

"W-What?! Rangiku-san!" Orihime exclaimed in horror, but Rangiku simply shrugged when the girl turned to her with eyes widened in shock.

"What? The topic was becoming too gloomy." the female shinigami answered good-naturedly, and Orihime dropped her head at those words. "But the point is that you don't have to worry about us. All we have to do is to answer some questions, while you…"

There was a moment of silence, and before Orihime knew what was going on, Rangiku had pulled her into a tight hug.

"Just trust in us, alright?" the _shinigami_ asked in a low tone, and Orihime managed to look up from Rangiku's breasts to stare at the woman, "We won't allow anyone to harm you. I'm sure Ichigo would agree with me if he was here."

_I…will become stronger. I'm getting stronger. Next time, I will definitely…protect you._

"I know…" Orihime whispered, but a small yelp left her lips when Rangiku suddenly increased her grip around her.

* * *

"So, what's eating you?"

"Don't annoy me, I'm not in the mood."

"What else is new? C'mon, talk to me. In case you haven't noticed, not even hollows are helping you returning to your old self."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm fine."

At those words, Rukia could not help but roll her eyes. If there was something she was positive about that would be that Kurosaki Ichigo was everything but fine. His mood had gone from bad to worse, and she now believed that his frown would forever be printed on his face.

"As if I didn't know your humour has something to do with Inoue." Rukia declared, and she watched as Ichigo almost slammed against a tree since they were just leaving the park, after hunting down two hollows.

"What on earth does Inoue have to do with anything?" Ichigo growled as he managed to walk around the tree, Rukia watching him with attentive eyes. "And don't stare at me like that!"

"Want me to show you some of my drawings?" the female _shinigami_ asked unexpectedly, and Ichigo let out a yelp of horror before turning to her.

"Lord, spare me the torture!" the boy shouted, but Rukia simply continued to stare at him. "Heck, I'm just irritated about what's going on. Of course that since it involves Inoue, I have to think about her, but I—OW!"

"Serves you right," Rukia mumbled as she walked past Ichigo, who had fallen on the ground after colliding with a lamp post. "Never insult my drawings; rabbit's feet may give luck, but my rabbit drawings punish those who talk badly about them."

"They are just sketches!" Ichigo exclaimed as he stood up, and run a hand down his hakama before rushing after Rukia. "Why don't you worry about yourself for a change? You haven't been all cheerfulness ever since we returned either."

"Don't you dare to change the subject," Rukia warned as she turned her head to look at him, "But if you must know, at least I went to have a talk with the person that has been worrying me. Now you barely talk with Inoue!"

"That's not true!"

"Then tell me when it was the last time you actually talked with her." Rukia retorted as she crossed her arms against her chest at same time she stopped her tracks, Ichigo mimicking her in silence.

"Hum…"

"Exactly, so grow a spine and go talk to her!" Rukia exclaimed before walking towards Ichigo, and hit him square on the forehead, "And I mean, alone, with nobody else around. Heavens know you guys need to talk!"

"And why would I talk to her?" Ichigo asked as he rubbed his sore forehead, and Rukia stared at him as if he was stupid. "I can't just go to her house, because in case you've forgotten Tōshirō and Rangiku are there. Besides, what would I say? Nice weather?"

"Good grief, you're hopeless." Rukia mumbled under her breath, and Ichigo immediately let out an indignant 'hey!'. "You're not going to ask Inoue to marry you. You're simply going to visit her, because you want to know how she is. Start with a 'hello'; that usually does the trick. As for Captain Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, trust me; they won't be a problem."

"Why on earth am I even listening to you?" Ichigo asked as they continued making their way towards the Kurosaki residence. "Why don't you go annoy someone else for a change?"

"Because it's fun pissing you off," Rukia answered with a small shrug, and Ichigo sighed before jumping towards his window, and spot his body lying on his bed. In seconds he was back to his body, cracking his knuckles. "So, off you go."

"What?"

"What are you? Deaf?" Rukia asked as she reached out for a manga that was on Ichigo's desk before sitting down on the floor, legs crossed. "Go check on Inoue, and send her my regards while you're at it."

"But I don't want to go." Ichigo protested, and Rukia opened the manga on the page where she had stopped before glaring at the orange haired boy.

"That's the thing, you don't _want_ to go, you _need_ to go." she pointed out, and Ichigo blinked at her statement. "That humour of yours is beginning to irritate me, and unless you want me to beat you senseless, then I advise you to go check on Inoue."

"Will you stop annoying me if I go?" Ichigo asked, and Rukia nodded before voicing a 'I promise' as she focused her attention on the manga. At her actions, Ichigo sighed before standing up from his bed. "Fine, I'll go, but you owe me one."

"On the contrary, Kurosaki Ichigo," Rukia started as soon as Ichigo left the bedroom, closing the door behind him, and the corner of her lips curled up into a smirk, "you'll be the one owning me."

* * *

Jūshirō Ukitake cautiously made his way out of the library as he held various books against his chest. As soon as he walked out of the front door, he gazed at the clear blue sky, and allowed himself to take a deep breath when the wind blew past him, carrying a fresh scent of nature.

It was indeed regretful that he could not go on a stroll, and enjoy such a quiet day. Instead, he was forced to study all the reports about the interrogatories that had already been done, and that involved Inoue Orihime's state of affairs.

All Ukitake did not understand was why he was the one who had to look at that of all Captains from Seireitei.

"Well, look at what we have here." a voice commented unexpectedly, and Ukitake tore his eyes away from the sky to glance to his side, "I'm starting to think you really love to work."

"Well, apparently if I don't do it, no one else will." Ukitake answered with a small smile, and Shunsui Kyōraku sighed at his reply as he continued walking towards him, "Would you like to give me a hand with this?"

"It will depend on the subject." Kyōraku replied not sounding excited about the prospect of actually having to work, and Ise Nanao showed up from behind him as she pushed her glasses up her nose.

"This is actually all that I managed to find, concerning Inoue Orihime's situation." Ukitake started as he raised the books he was holding slightly in the air, but the Captain of the 8th division said nothing. "I decided to take a look at this, because I'm afraid Captain Commander Yamamoto may call Lieutenant Soifon and the special forces."

"Eh? You think he'll do that?" Kyōraku asked as he looked from the books Ukitake was holding to the said Captain, and then he hummed in thought. "Now that wouldn't be good. You think they would call the Detention Unit?"

"If that happened, it would mean that they consider Inoue Orihime guilty, and it's far too soon for them to make assumptions." Ukitake explained with a small shake of his head, "I prefer to believe that by examining these reports, I'll be able to find something that can help Inoue-san. You've seen her; she's a sweet girl, too much of a peacekeeper to even harm a fly."

"Hmm well, I guess I can give you a hand…" Kyōraku mumbled, and Nanao appeared beside him instantaneously, holding a thick book against her chest.

"Captain Shunsui, you have duties to take care of concerning your division." she started, and Kyōraku groaned at her words before turning to her, his straw hat shielding his eyes.

"Aw Nanao-chan, you know that it would be unfair to let a pretty girl such as Inoue Orihime go through an unfair trial." he pointed out, and when he noticed that Nanao was just about to retort, he continued. "Besides, my business can wait."

After a few minutes, Kyōraku managed to convince his Lieutenant that it would not hurt to give Ukitake a hand. It also did not take long for the two captains to arrive to Ukitake's quarters, but before they could even think about grabbing one of the reports, someone asked for permission to walk in.

"Ah, welcome!" Ukitake exclaimed good-humouredly, a wide smile on his face, and Shūhei bowed in respect before sitting on his legs, close to the open shoji of the room. "What brings you here?"

"I've come to take care of some matters concerning the 9th division, and I decided to stop by, to let you know about what has been going on in the real world." Shūhei informed as he rested his hands on his legs, and Ukitake nodded while Kyōraku lay down on the floor, his hat covering his face.

"I was just about to examine some reports concerning Inoue Orihime's situation." Ukitake summarized, waving a hand towards the books and papers scattered all through the small wooden table beside him. "But your visit is always welcomed. How is it going?"

"As you probably already know, Hasu has revealed herself to the others." Shūhei started, and Ukitake nodded, "I'm not sure if she did it on the right time, because now everyone's rather suspicious of her. As for me, I've been taking care of the bar, making sure I always know what's going on."

"You probably know that Abarai-san, Madarame-san and Ayasegawa-san have already been interrogated." Ukitake declared, and Shūhei nodded, "Very well, then I have something to ask you and Shinkai-san."

At those words, Kyōraku raised his hat a little bit in order to stare at the captain of the 13th division, while Shūhei silently waited to hear what he was supposed to do.

"It's time to start helping Inoue Orihime," Ukitake started in a strong voice, "It's time to show to Seireitei that it's not the time to focus all the attention on a human girl, but on what Aizen may be planning to do in the future. It's time…for waves to conquer the skies."

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – Yes, I agree with you. I understand that some people are anxious to see Ichigo and Orihime together, but I find it unbelievable how some writers put them together in two chapters. I think their relationship is more than that, and it deserves to be examined. As for Hasu, I really wanted to create a character that would come up from a strict division, and Zaraki just popped in my mind. Since I really like that division, and noticed that the fourth seat was never mentioned; I thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Now, I'm really happy that I did .

_**Celestial Night**_ – Trust me, it takes me ages to actually start a (serious) relationship between two characters regardless if they're canon or not. If they are not together in the anime/manga when I start my story, then they won't be together until I think time's right. I am really happy to know you're enjoying the pace of my story, and hopefully you'll keep enjoying it )

_**Yanaril**_ – Thank you so much! I am so pleased to hear that you actually like the twists and cliffhangers that I add in each chapter. And yeah, you have to wait for the future chapters to find the answers you're looking for. I hope you keep enjoying this story. Thank you for your support!

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – Well, I think that Ichigo is slowly understanding Orihime, and I think it's rather easier for him to read her now. As for Orihime's trail…well, more information about it soon!

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_– I think Ichigo can read Orihime's mind pretty easily if he tries to, the problem is that he's too damn dense for his own good. Go figure... I hope you liked this chapter.

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Well, you know me; my stories are filled with twists. I just love them! XD And yeah, how could I ever forget Shiro, the puppy?

_**Renji's Girll**_– Trust me, if there's something I like to do it's to take time developing the plot. Some readers even tell me I take too long for my own good Oo.


	10. My Unspoken Oath to You

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

This was a chapter that I enjoyed writing, first because of the Ichigo x Orihime interaction, and secondly because I really like the way Rangiku tends to watch over Orihime. Sometimes they look like siblings, but in others it looks almost as if Rangiku is taking care of her daughter. I really hope you enjoy this, and I also want to thank you all for accepting the pace of this story. Thanks everyone!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_My Unspoken Oath __to You_

The sun was already setting behind the trees in the park, offering shades of gold to the once green leaves while a few birds still crossed the sky, searching for the perfect shelter to spend the night. People could be spotted wandering through the streets of Karakura, most of them on their way back home.

It was in one rather deserted street, however, that Kurosaki Ichigo could be found, staring at a residence in front of him. He was seriously beginning to doubt his sanity; he did not even know what he was doing there! Aside from the fact all he had wanted was to escape from Rukia, he could not find an explanation that could clarify what on earth he was doing in the middle of a street, staring at Orihime's house.

With a sigh, Ichigo stuffed his hands inside his pants' pockets, and observed as light suddenly emerged from a window. He guessed that someone had just walked inside the living-room, but that person revealed to be Orihime herself because the girl appeared by the window.

For a moment, the two orange haired teenagers just stood staring at one another, Orihime still standing by the window, while Ichigo was on the street. Despite the distance, their eyes had quickly connected, and even though at the moment all Ichigo wanted was to walk away, he found it impossible when he heard Orihime whisper his name.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Hello, Inoue…" Ichigo greeted back as he raised a hand in order to wave at the girl, who simply continued staring at him, a puzzled expression on her face. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," Orihime answered as she rested her hands on the window-frame, but she slowly entitled her head slightly to the side. "Would you like to come in? Rangiku-san went shopping, and Tōshirō-kun is locked in his room…"

"Oh that's alright; I don't want to bother you." Ichigo answered as he shook his head lightly, but before he could continue, Orihime closed the window, and disappeared from sight. Seconds later, the young woman opened the front door of her house, and motioned for Ichigo to walk in with a small wave of her hand.

"You won't bother, Kurosaki-kun, besides, I was the one who invited you." Orihime started as Ichigo reluctantly started making his way towards her door, "Shiro is the only one who's keeping me company, but he's sleeping now, so…"

"Shiro?" Ichigo repeated as he raised an eyebrow slightly in suspicion, and Orihime beamed at him as she allowed him to walk inside her house. Then, she gently closed the front door before leading Ichigo to the living-room.

The answer to Ichigo's question came moments later in the form of a white puppy that was sleeping close to the sofa, over a pink and yellow blanket. Next to it was a small bowl filled with milk.

"Would you like to eat something?" Orihime questioned as she sat down on the floor, and Ichigo silently mimicked her actions, allowing for the small wooden table to be in-between them. Then, he shook his head.

"No, I'm fine." he answered, mentally recalling his friend's peculiar taste in food, and Orihime nodded, a small smile on her face. Then, silence surrounded the two of them, as both got lost in their own thoughts.

"You know, Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime spoke all of a sudden, and Ichigo snapped from his own mental turmoil to look at her, and notice how she was staring down at her hands. "I…I just realised that I've never apologized for what I did, when you….rescued me…"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo questioned as he rested his hands on his knees, and Orihime looked up for a second only to lower her gaze when their eyes meet. From his seat, Ichigo watched as the girl continued observing her fingers until she finally took a deep breath.

"When you…when you defeated Ulquiorra, you tried to bring me back, and I…I told you I wanted to stay…" Orihime started slowly, still not meeting Ichigo's eyes, "And I just realised that I was being selfish, and…"

_I want to stay here!_

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo repeated as his frown started to deepen, and his harsh tone only resulted in Orihime lowering her head even more, "Is that what you've been thinking during all this time? That you're being selfish?"

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"Inoue, have you ever stopped, and actually noticed what you're saying?" Ichigo continued as he raised his right knee, and hesitantly Orihime raised her eyes to look at him. "You wanted to stay because you wanted to destroy the _Hougyoku_! You wanted to do something extremely stupid all by yourself!"

As soon as those words abandoned his lips, Ichigo mentally growled, but when he noticed that Orihime had lowered her head again, he sighed. Leave it to him to say what he should not when he was supposed to be saying the proper thing.

"I mean," Ichigo promptly continued before forcing himself to calm down, and he rested a hand on his raised knee, "you wanted to stay in Las Noches, all by yourself, because you wanted to be the one to destroy the _Hougyoku_. And I'm ready to bet my own life that you wanted to do it because you didn't want anyone else to get hurt."

"Kuchiki-san…Ishida-kun, Sado-kun…" Orihime started enumerating before trailing off, and she raised her head once again, to look at the boy in front of her, "All of you were already suffering so much, and at the end it was proven that you had risked your lives for nothing. To destroy the _Hougyoku_…it was the least I could try to do…"

"You know, I never heard Rukia call you an idiot." Ichigo pointed out unexpectedly, and Orihime blinked at his statement, "On the other hand, she calls me an idiot all the time, which proves that you're not one nor will you ever be one."

There was a short pause, during which Ichigo asked himself about what on earth was he doing, and if there was in fact a purpose behind all that talk.

"What I'm trying to say is that you weren't being selfish for wanting to stay there," Ichigo continued, and before he knew it, he was gesturing as well, "Sure those guys were real challenges, but we managed to beat them all. And I understand that you may consider yourself selfish for wanting to stay there when some of us almost died to save you, but…"

Now, was it just him or that was going in the wrong direction again?

"You know, never mind," Ichigo ended, so abruptly that Orihime blinked once more at his behaviour, "What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't consider yourself selfish. You're probably the most selfless person I know. Who in his right mind would go to Las Noches for the sake of his friends?"

Yep, that definitely was not going as he wanted it go…

All of a sudden Ichigo's badge broke the silence that had risen inside the living-room, and Ichigo was on his feet in a matter of seconds. Orihime quickly mimicked his actions, and watched as Ichigo pressed the badge against his chest, his body falling on its face.

"Inoue, you stay here." Ichigo ordered in his strong voice as the girl walked to his side, "Don't leave. And inform Tōshirō about what's going on."

"That's not necessary, I'm here." a voice spoke suddenly, and the two young adults turned to their side to see Tōshirō standing by the door, already in his _shinigami _form. "Inoue, you are not to leave this house. Matsumoto will return in a few minutes, to watch over you."

"But I can…" Orihime started, but she trailed off when she noticed Tōshirō and Ichigo's expressions, and she quickly gave one small step backwards, "Alright, but please, be careful."

After those words, both _shinigami _left the living-room through the window, and Orihime sighed before gazing over her shoulder. Despite the commotion, Shiro was still sleeping soundlessly, and it was with a tiny smile that Orihime made her way towards the small puppy. Gently, she covered the animal with the blanket before walking towards the window, and stare at the darkening sky.

Hopefully, everyone would be alright.

* * *

"Watch where your throwing those things!"

"Ever thought about not jumping around like a monkey?"

"Will you two quiet down?!"

"Be careful!"

A sigh abandoned Tōshirō's lips as he watched Ichigo and Ishida trying to bite each other's heads. Rukia was doing her best to force the two boys to stop fighting mostly because they were beginning to irritate her, and Tōshirō almost dared to say that Rukia was at the edge of slapping Ichigo and Ishida. Sado was the only one who was ignoring his friends, but Tōshirō was certain that that was only because someone had to keep an eye on the hollows.

And since no one else seemed to be paying much attention to what they were doing, Sado seemed to have taken over the roll as a sentinel.

"How do they manage to survive missions is beyond me…" Tōshirō mumbled to himself before raising his sword, and strike the hollow that had been approaching him from behind.

"Hey, let us have some fun too!" a voice exclaimed out of the blue, and everyone looked behind them in time to see Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichika running towards them, at same time they eliminated all the hollows that appeared in front of them.

"Damn, what has happened to those stupid hollows that have fun attacking all by themselves?" Renji asked as he observed the over thirty hollows that had surrounded them, but no one answered him. Instead, the group divided in groups of two and three, and started attacking the hollows.

Due to the commotion, no one noticed the shadow that had been watching them from afar, and that disappeared into the shadows of the falling night quicker than a blink of an eye.

On the meantime, Orihime was sitting on the floor, staring down at her hands. Her long hair was falling down her back, but some streaks had fallen in front of her eyes, concealing them from the world. She knew why Ichigo and Tōshirō had told her to stay at home, but one side of her just ached to go.

She was aware that she would most likely get in the way, but at least there she would be able to try to do something…. Even if that something was nothing more than to heal her wounded friends…

_Are you scared? You're useless to Aizen now. There's no one left to protect you. It's over. You will die. Alone here, where no one can touch you. I asked you, if you're scared._

_I'm not scared. Everyone came to save me, so my heart is already with them._

Silently, Orihime glanced at her sofa, and stared at Ichigo's unmoving body. She guessed that she ought to feel what she had once felt. Even though all she wanted was to go aid her friends, she also knew that she would only get in their way.

And that was why, once again, she had to stay away, believing that they would be fine by themselves. After all, that was not the first time they were battling without her help, and truth to be told, they always seemed to do a better job when she was not with them.

Before she knew what she was doing, Orihime stood up from her spot on the floor, and walked towards Ichigo's body. On contrary of the night when she had gone to bid farewell, Ichigo now looked completely relaxed. That was a rare sight, now that Orihime thought about it, to look at Ichigo's face and not see his usual frown.

For a split of a second, Orihime raised her fingers towards Ichigo's orange locks, but lowered her hand as soon as she realised what she was about to do. A soft blush quickly spread through her face as the girl continued staring at the boy's peaceful face, but sadness quickly took over her facial expression.

If only…

"Inoue Orihime."

A gasp abandoned Orihime's lips when she heard her name, but when she had been just about to turn her head around, she felt something cold and sharp rest on her shoulder. Metal glittered under the lights of the living room, and Orihime felt her breath get stuck on her throat. Who…?

"Are you ready to give your life for your friends?"

What? What on earth was going on? Who was behind her?

"_Santen—"_

"You do realise I can cut your throat before you finish that incantation, correct?"

"W-Who are you?" Orihime finally managed to ask, completely aware of how the blade was a few inches away from her skin, but when no answer was given, Orihime tried another approach. "What do you want from me?"

"The truth."

At that answer, Orihime blinked in confusion, but she let out a yelp of surprise when the blade suddenly disappeared from her neck and shoulder. Swiftly, Orihime turned around, a hand now resting against her neck, but she blinked again when she noticed that she was all alone.

What on earth…?"

_"Orihime!"_

This time, the orange haired girl stood up from the floor, and raised both her arms in front of her, and she prepared herself to call out for Tsubaki. Her now narrowed eyes were locked with the open door of the living-room, but any thought that was to cross through her mind was forgotten as soon as a certain _shinigami_ stepped inside the room.

"Orihime, are you alright?"

"Matsumoto-san!" Orihime blurred out as she watched the older woman rush towards the window (curious, Orihime did not recall it being opened), and stare outside. "I…hum…yes, I'm fine."

"Who was here with you?"

"I…err…"

"Orihime, who was here with you?" Rangiku repeated, looking deadly serious, and the younger girl could not help but withdraw at the _shinigami_'s severe look.

"I-I don't know," Orihime started, her voice quivering due to the nervousness that started running through her body, and she unconsciously raised her hands in front of her, "I-I think they came in through the window, but I had my back turned to them the whole time. I…I didn't manage to look at them."

"Did they talk to you?" Orihime quickly nodded, and Rangiku rested her hands on her hips. "Was it a woman or a man? Think carefully. When Captain finds out that someone was here with you, he'll want to know everything before he decides he wants my head."

"I hum…I think it was a man…" Orihime answered though now in a slower tone, and Rangiku furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation before she let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, he took me by surprise, and I…I _know_ it was a man, but I can't remember if I know the voice from somewhere or not."

"Well, you said it's a male voice, which narrows thing down to half of the problem." Rangiku commented before walking towards the sofa and stare down at Ichigo's body, "I guess we can only wait for Captain and the others to return. We'll try to think of something together."

"Matsumoto-san…" Orihime called-out before she could stop herself, but when the _shinigami _turned to her, the girl quickly regretted uttering the name. Without knowing what else to say, Orihime opted to smile nervously at the older woman, "Nothing, never mind."

"You know, Orihime," Rangiku started as she glanced at the body resting on the sofa, and the girl blinked in expectation, "Many people wish for a protector just like the one you have. Just don't forget that a protector is someone who provides protective supervision, and that you ought to trust that guardian."

"Matsumoto-san…" Orihime trailed off when the _shinigami _suddenly raised her eyes to gaze at her, "I hum…"

"All I am saying is that I understand how suffocating this whole situation may be," Rangiku continued, and Orihime fell silent, "However, things will become easier if you allow for those who care for you to take care of you, and to protect you when it's clear that's exactly what they want to do."

Before she could stop herself, Orihime glanced down at Ichigo, thoughts racing through her mind at full speed. For a moment, Orihime believed to know about whom Rangiku was referring to, but she quickly decided to put it aside. He was not the type to protect one single person.

_I…will become stronger. I'm getting stronger. Next time, I will definitely…protect you._

"But the protector also deserves to have a day off once-in-a-while." Orihime blurred out before she could stop herself, and Rangiku raised an eyebrow slightly at the statement. "I can't wait for him to show up all the time. He deserves to be with his friends as well."

"Orihime, if he once told you that he was going to protect you," Rangiku started in a serious tone, her hands once again resting on her hips, and Orihime glanced at Ichigo's body before staring at the _shinigami _again, "then, it doesn't matter how hard you try to keep him away, because he'll always find a way to make sure nothing happens to you."

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Yes! I'm so excited to know that you can play everything out in your head as you read it, because that's exactly what happens to me as I write the scenes! Also, yes, I really think that Rangiku has a maternal side that becomes obvious whenever she's with Orihime, and I tried my best to show a little bit of that side of hers. As for Ichigo and Rukia, I really see them as siblings who just love annoying the crap out of each other. I think that's how they manage to go through all the difficulties, no matter how inexplicable that may be. Thank you for everything!

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – Aw, it's great to know you're enjoying this that much. Thank you!

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – Yes, I agree with you. I think Ichigo and Orihime's relationship deserves more than an impulsive realization and a sudden wish to get laid. Even though some authors may find it troublesome, I think their bond deserves to be explored, and developed unhurriedly, and I guess that's what you can see in my story. As for Kenpachi and Byakuya's division…I must be honest and admit that I never thought about Byakuya's division, mostly because Byakuya is (like you said) extremely rigorous. You'll understand why I chose Kenpachi as the story goes, and hopefully you'll agree with me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – So, what did you think of Ichigo and Orihime's talk? As for Ukitake and Shunsui…well, I really like those two Captains, and I thought they deserved some attention (hehe).

_**Celestial Night**_– I'm really happy to know you like the pace, and I'm relieved to know that everyone is in character. Some characters are rather tricky, but I really hope that I managed to keep them IC during the rest of the story. As for the sequel…well, I am thinking about it, and I'll let you know when I decide what to do. Thank you for everything, and I'm really happy to know that you're enjoying this!


	11. One Life for Another

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

I am quite aware that this story is coming out really, _really_ quickly, but I just can't help it. I truly never expected to find myself updating this every two days, but seriously, can you blame me? I just can't wait to have this completed, and see if you enjoyed this. But don't worry, there are still some long chapters prepared for you. I'll just cross my fingers and hope you'll like them. However, I really must say…if you guys want, I can start taking longer to update this story (hehe).

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_One Life for Another_

"Alright class, let's open our books on page 145!" the teacher ordered as she stood in front of the whole classroom, holding a book in front of her. "Asano, please, start reading."

As Asano's voice erupted from the back of the classroom, Kuchiki Rukia quickly got lost on her thoughts. Her eyes, although locked with the book that she had in front of her, were not focusing on the task at hand; instead, thoughts started consuming her mind, and Rukia quickly got lost track of reality.

Things were stranger than usual, and no one could explain why. Not even Captain Hitsugaya, who had contacted Soul Society, had managed to find the answers they were all looking for.

Unconsciously, Rukia rested her chin on the back of her right hand, her eyes still locked with the pages of the book. First, it had been Mizuiro Kojima and Asano Keigo, who had been almost attacked by hollows. Thankfully they had been accompanying both Ichigo and Orihime, so both boys had been saved without even knowing it.

Then, it had been Arisawa Tatsuki, who had confessed to be aware of hollows although she could not see them entirely some of the times. She had actually been knocked out cold by a hollow before Ichigo and Rukia herself had come to rescue. Later on, Ichigo had taken Tatsuki to Orihime in order to be cured of some nasty cuts before she regained consciousness.

The worst had been when Kurosaki Yuzu had been attacked. At the time, the little girl had encountered Orihime on her way out of the grocer's shop. Thankfully, Orihime had been able to protect the girl by using _Santen Kesshun _until Sado and Ishida appeared to help them. When the fight was over, both Rukia and Ichigo had arrived in time to use the memory modifier on Yuzu.

However, the truth was that the more Rukia thought about it, the less she liked the conclusion she was getting at. Apparently, even though attacks were quite common, it was not frequent for hollows to focus only in a certain group of people.

It was true, all those who had been attacked were spiritually aware, but that could not be the only explanation. After all, there were other things spread throughout Karakura Town that could attract hollows, but still it seemed that hollowed were only focused on members of their classroom during the past month…

"Kuchiki!"

"What?" Rukia blurred out before she could stop herself at same time she raised her head upwards, but she sweatdropped when she noticed that everyone was staring weirdly at her.

"Do you mind to continue reading?" the teacher inquired, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance, "Or is my class too boring for you, Kuchiki?"

Ah crap!

Long hours later, Rukia and Ichigo could be spotted eating lunch on the roof, both carrying thoughtful expressions on their faces. Silence was the flavouring of that mealtime while a light breeze brought scents of other meals towards them. For a long time, both young adults just continued eating, too lost in their thoughts to utter one word until a sound forced them to look to their side.

"Oi, Chad!" Ichigo greeted not too enthusiastically at same time he waved at his friend, who nodded in return before sitting down next to Rukia. "Where's Ishida and the others?"

"Ishida's at crafts club," Sado answered shortly, and Ichigo nodded mind-absently at the reply while Rukia returned to her reverie. She knew that she ought to tell Ichigo about her suspicions, but Rukia was also aware that if she was ever to tell him what she thought, then her actions would end up with Ichigo demanding to know what on earth was going on.

After all, how could she tell Ichigo that his friends and family was being target by hollows? No; how could she tell him that all recent attacks seemed to be _centred_ on his family and friends? Rukia knew what that would do to Ichigo, and she was aware that it would be practically impossible to stop Ichigo from trying to protect his friends at all costs.

Perhaps it would be better if she spoke to someone else? Urahara maybe?

"I wonder…" Ichigo started suddenly, and Rukia snapped from her thoughts at his words while Sado simply turned his head to look at the orange haired boy, "Things seem to be getting a bit out of control, don't they?"

"What are you talking about?" Rukia inquired, trying to give Ichigo the benefit of doubt although she knew what he was referring to, but Ichigo simply raised his eyes to look at her.

"You know what I'm talking about." he declared, his eyes hardening as he spoke, but Rukia simply glared back at him, silently defying him to continue, "Something's going on, and I need to know what."

"You know very well that's impossible to predict when hollows may appear, we—"

"I don't care about that; I'm worried about my family." Ichigo swiftly interrupted, a frown on his face, but Rukia simply continued to look at him, Sado observing both of them in silence, "First Mizuiro and Keigo, and later Tatsuki were attacked. And then….then Yuzu was targeted as well. Damn it, Rukia, I need to know what's going on!"

"Ichigo, you know very well we're doing our best to make sure nothing happens to your family." Rukia started in her strong tone, but Ichigo simply continued staring at her, "As for the rest, you know very well that we cannot stop hollows from coming to this world. All we can do is to make sure we are here to protect everyone."

"Still, I wish I could do something…" Ichigo trailed off at same time he clenched his right hand into a strong fist, his eyes narrowing in determination, "I'll be damned if I allow anything to happen to them."

"Ichigo, you know very well we won't allow anything to happen to your family." Rukia started in her strong voice, leaving no space for debate. "However, I still need to contact Soul Society, and see if someone can help us out. I'd ask someone to contact Captain Kurotsuchi but quite frankly I think he'll prefer to see us die to help us."

"Do you have any clue about what's going on?" Ichigo inquired as he raised an eyebrow slightly, but Rukia simply shook her head before nibbling on her sandwich. "Damn it, all I want is to make sure they're fine!"

"You don't have to worry about your family any longer, Kurosaki."

At that voice, both Rukia and Ichigo looked to their side only to see Tōshirō walking towards them, his hands inside his pants' pockets. Behind him, was Rangiku, munching on a sandwich with a wide smile on her face, but she waved quickly when she spotted them.

"They are safe."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked as he raised a knee, and rested his elbow on top of it, but Tōshirō simply walked towards the fence that surrounded the balcony before leaning his back against it.

"Someone will watch over your family from this moment on." the Captain of the tenth division quickly summarized as he crossed his arms against his chest, "So, from now on you don't have to worry about your family."

"Tsk, as if that's even possible." Ichigo muttered under his breath at same time he looked away, and Tōshirō stared at him for a moment in silence before closing his eyes.

"It's possible you may be called to go to Sereitei in a matter of days." the Captain continued in his usual calm yet commanding voice, and Ichigo turned to him almost instantaneously. "It seems that after everything that has been going on, it has been decided that the trail must be done sooner."

"W-What?" Ichigo blurred out at same time Rukia got up to her feet, looking completely gobsmacked as well, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You can't possibly be saying that they think Inoue is behind what's been going on?"

"I'm afraid that's exactly what's going on," Tōshirō answered, and Rukia promptly raised a closed fist at same time Ichigo also stood up, their lunches forgotten on the ground.

"Captain Hitsugaya, you can't possibly be serious!" Rukia exclaimed before slamming her fist against her chest, "They all know that Inoue is incapable of harming one single fly! It's also impossible to control hollows, so it's simply insane to even consider that a possibility! What is Sereitei trying to achieve with all this?"

"Kuchiki-san, trust me when I say that we don't like the way this is heading either." Rangiku spoke up unexpectedly as she now stood beside Tōshirō, her arms crossed beneath her breasts, "However, it's not possible to find any answers at the moment."

"All we can do right now, is to go to Sereitei when called, and answer their questions." Tōshirō concluded, a frown on his face, "Kurosaki, I understand that you're not happy with this, but we can only follow our orders for now."

"But that's insane, and you know it!" Ichigo burst out-loud as he raised a clenched fist, "Inoue is the most unselfish and caring person I know! Hell, like Rukia said, she's incapable of hurting a damn fly! I can't believe they still consider her a traitor just because she went to Las Noches! She did it because she wanted to protect us!"

"And that's exactly what you'll say when you're called," Tōshirō declared before allowing his arms to fall to his sides, and he gave one step forward, and Ichigo blinked. "For now, I'll contact Captain Ukitake, and try to figure out what's going on in Sereitei. As for you," he glanced at Rukia before settling his gaze on Ichigo again, "stay out of trouble."

"Bah, as if it's that easy..." Ichigo complained, stuffing his hands inside his pants' pockets, "I never do anything to attract troubles, but for some damn reason trouble seems to be attracted to me."

"Self-absorb, aren't we?" Rukia inquired suddenly as she glanced sideways at Ichigo with a strange mask on her face, but the orange haired boy simply glared at him. They both stopped glaring at one another though when Rangiku suddenly spoke up.

"Just make sure you look after Orihime," the Lieutenant started, a solemn expression on her face, and both Ichigo and Rukia looked at her, "I wouldn't be surprise if she ended up doing something incredibly stupid right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rukia inquired as she raised both her eyebrows in suspicion, but it was also then that Tōshirō glanced at Rangiku over his shoulder, a frown on his face.

"Let's go."

"Hey, wait! Tōshirō!" Ichigo called-out as the two _shinigami _continued walking towards the door of the balcony, but neither of them looked over their shoulder. When they were left alone, Ichigo looked down for a moment before gazing at Rukia, who looked troubled as well, and then at Sado.

"What are we supposed to do now?"

* * *

Hasu looked up from the papers she had been examining when she heard the door being opened, but she focused her attention on her task seconds later. Without glancing at the person that was now standing on the doorway, she grabbed a pen, and started correcting the mistakes that she occasionally found on that test.

"You know, I never thought you'd actually have enough patience to deal with a bunch of kids." the person resting against the doorframe commented suddenly, but Hasu simply continued correcting the test, "I wonder if it has anything to do with Captain Ukitake."

"Did you come here to actually do something useful, or to just waste my time?" Hasu inquired in an apathetic tone of voice, and she instinctively crossed her legs under her desk. "Don't you have a bar to run?"

"Aw, don't be so cruel to me; I just wanted to check the outside for a change." Shuhei replied before walking towards the desk, his arms crossed against his chest. "Do you wanna go for a drink?"

"If you want to get drunk, invite Rangiku." Hasu declared as she put the corrected test down in order to write the mark on the top, "I'm in no mood to deal with you right now."

"Ah c'mon, Shinkai, you can't possibly still be mad at me." Shuhei practically whined, and this time Hasu did raise her head in order to stare at him. However, before their eyes could meet, Shuhei turned his back to her in order to lean against the desk, "You know very well that you couldn't come with me."

"It was completely unnecessary." Hasu informed as she continued staring at Shuhei, and the male _shinigami_ ultimately ended up looking at her over his shoulder, "There was no need for you to go harass the girl even more."

"Harass? Now that's a strong word." Shuhei commented as he furrowed his eyebrows, and Hasu looked down at the next test she had to correct.

"Fine, there's no need for you to stalk the girl even more."

"Oi, can it be possible that the infamous pitiless 4th seat of the 11th division in the Gotei Thirteen is becoming overprotective over a defenceless girl?" Shuhei teased, but he ended up laughing rather loudly when Hasu promptly glared at him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" a third voice asked all of a sudden, and both _shinigami_ stared at the door of the classroom only to see Rangiku standing there. Hastily, Shuhei straightened up, causing Hasu to glance at him only to roll her eyes when she noticed the way he was staring Rangiku.

"I was here to see if Hasu wanted to go for a drink," Shuhei quickly explained as he turned to the newcomer, who simply entitled her head slightly to the side, "I was also just about to go look for you. Would you like to go drink some saké with me?"

"Oh, I'd love to!"

Once again, Hasu rolled her eyes, but she managed to hide her antics by looking down at the test she had just begun to correct. Those two just never changed…

"Well, let's go to Bleach Bar then!" Shuhei exclaimed, not bothering to hide his happiness, but he looked at Hasu as soon as he gave the first step forward. "Feel free to pass by whenever you want. I'll see if Ikkaku and Yumichika want to go as well."

"Whatever."

Thankfully it did not take long for both Shuhei and Rangiku to abandon the classroom, their voices fading into silence as they walked away. With a sigh, Hasu put the test down, and leaned against the back of the chair before closing her eyes.

"Where's Matsumoto?"

Hasu looked to her side at the unexpected voice, and for a second she just stared at the person that was standing by the door. When no answer left her lips, a pair of teal orbs stared at her in the eyes.

"She just left with Hisagi." Hasu answered as she forced herself to leave her reverie, and Tōshirō crossed his arms against his chest at her reply, "They have just left, and they're most likely going to Bleach Bar."

"Are you going to Seireitei soon?" the Captain inquired out of the blue as Hasu stood up from her chair before nodding.

"Yes, I'm to meet Captain Ukitake after dinner. He has requested for my presence." she quickly elaborated, noticing the frown on Tōshirō's face. "Do you want me to give him a message from your part?"

"Just ask him if he knows what Seireitei may be planning to do about Inoue Orihime," Tōshirō commanded in his serious tone of voice, and Hasu nodded in understanding, "Report back as soon as you return."

"Yes, sir," Hasu answered as she bowed slightly in respect, but when she straightened up again, she noticed that Tōshirō was already walking away. When she was, once again, all by herself, Hasu allowed herself to exhale noisily before leaning against the desk.

Things were becoming quite troublesome.

"Shinkai-sensei?" a voice called-out all of a sudden, and the female _shinigami_ mentally took another long and deep breath before she stared at the doorway. "Am I interrupting?"

"What is it, Inoue?"

For a moment the girl just stood on the same spot, twiddling her fingers in nervousness as she obviously tried to come up with a way to voice her thoughts. During all that time, Hasu had simply observed her, patiently waiting for Orihime to say whatever she wanted to say.

However, Orihime ought to speak soon, or Hasu would not explain her actions.

"I…I want…" Orihime stopped herself for a second, and Hasu crossed her arms against her chest as she continued waiting. When Orihime suddenly raised her eyes to look at her, however, Hasu immediately knew what that was all about. "I want to go to Soul Society with you."

* * *

"Ne, Ukitake, don't you think we deserve a break?" Kyōraku inquired as he sighed, and he gently lowered the documents he had been examining before gazing at the other Captain, "You need to rest as well."

"What?" Ukitake asked as he tore his eyes away from the papers he was holding, and then he smiled, "My apologies; I was so absorb by all this that I even forgot that you must have things to do as well. Lieutenant Ise is probably quite mad at me for keeping you here."

"She knows that I decided to come here willingly; she will most likely be mad at me not you." Kyōraku corrected as he sighed again, and before Ukitake could say something, the Captain of the Eight Division laid down on the floor, his hat now covering his face. "Perhaps it is better if I stay here."

"Eh? Are you sure Lieutenant Ise isn't expecting you?" Ukitake questioned as he blinked in confusion, but when Kyōraku pushed his hat even lower so that his whole face was now covered, the Captain of the 13th division smiled. "Ah, trying to avoid her, I see. Don't you think it's a bit late to do that now?"

"Aw Nanao-chan knows that she holds my heart," Kyōraku stated, causing Ukitake to mentally wonder about what that had to do with the matter at hand, "Besides, without me, you are bond to forget to eat or sleep, and I don't really fancy the idea of you getting sick now."

"Ah, don't worry about my health, I feel fine." Ukitake said with a wide smile on his face, and Kyōraku raised his hat just a little bit in order to gaze at his friend with a grave mask on his face.

"You may be fine, but I sure won't if Nanao-chan finds out that I'm skipping appointments."

"With your permission," a voice spoke abruptly, and both Ukitake and Kyōraku turned their heads in order to stare at the open doors. A long silence followed the unexpected voice as three pair of eyes glanced at each others.

"Oh! Welcome back!" Ukitake greeted with a wide smile at same time he put his papers down while Kyōraku decided to stay silent, and simply stare at the newcomer. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"Captain Ukitake, I am sorry for walking in without permission, but this is a matter that cannot be delayed." Hasu started in her serious tone, a blank mask on her face, and both Captains blinked at her words. "There's someone here to see you."

Without looking away from Ukitake, Hasu gave one step to the side, allowing for the person that was standing next to her to reveal herself. Both Ukitake and Kyōraku blinked again when they saw that it was Orihime who was standing next to the element from the Eleventh division.

"Inoue Orihime…" Ukitake whispered as he watched the girl bowing in respect, her hands clasped in front of her legs. "What brings you here?"

For a moment, Orihime just kept her head down, almost as if she was debating about what she was supposed to say. Then, she glanced at Hasu, who simply stared back at her through the corner of her eyes, and only afterwards did Orihime gaze at the two Captains again.

"I…" she started, hesitating a little as she continued, "I came here because…I want all this to stop." silence was all that followed her announcement, and Orihime decided to continue, "I don't want to involve my friends anymore. I want to speak with whoever is in charge of the investigation, and…I just want to end all this."

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – Aww, thank you! I am so glad to know you liked the Ichigo x Orihime scene. I really enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for your constant support, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

_**Celestial Night**_– Well, I thought Ichigo ought to be a tad harsher than usual because he was feeling a bit nervous about the idea of talking to Orihime. I like to think that when it comes to express his feelings through words, Ichigo is rather clumsy, and that he tends to say that he cares by saying something that others would consider rude and insensitive. But then again, that's just me. As for the unknown characters (laughs) I think I just have a thing for suspense that's all. Anyway, as you can see, this was another extremely quick update, but still I hope it was worth waiting for.

_**PaN-cHaN862005**_ – Was this quick enough? XD

_**Pauline**_ – Indeed, the chapters for this story are coming out rather rapidly, but I'm only doing quick updates on this story. I sure am taking my time when it comes to all of the other stories I have on this site. I am quite happy to know you're enjoying the way the plot is developing, and that you think the characters are….well, in character. Some are rather tricky, but I promise I'll continue to do my best! Thank you for everything!

_**chuchootrain**_ – Aww thank you! I hope you'll enjoy the future chapters and the surprises that have been prepared )

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_– Yay! I'm so happy to know you liked the Ichigo x Orihime moment . Thank you!

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – Well, I do like to think that when it comes to express his feelings and comfort others Ichigo does a great job…failing miserably XD. That was exactly why I had so much fun writing the Ichigo x Orihime scene; because I could not help but image Ichigo trying to say the proper thing by saying the wrong words (laughs). Thank you for everything!

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Although it's a tad complicated, I do try to add a few hints of humour every now and then. Besides, it's not as if we can forget how much Ichigo and Ishida love each other XD. As for Rangiku…well, I guess I'm just having fun trying to develop her maternal side, and hey, I'm glad you're enjoying this side of her ). I hope this was soon enough!

_**Demonbloodfeeder**_ – Crap, I knew I had forgotten something… (tears).

_**moogle in paradaisu**_ – Yay! I'm so happy to know that! I hope you keep enjoying the story!


	12. Saving Us from Me

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

I only have one thing to say: you guys are awesome! Adorable too! I love the fact I have such great readers supporting this story. Thank you so much!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_Saving Us from Me_

Silently, Sado opened the door of his small apartment, and quickly made his way towards the kitchen where he put his groceries down. He was about to start putting them away when a strange sound reached his ears, causing him to stop all of his movement. Closing his eyes, Sado tried to figure out from where the sound was coming until he finally realized that something was in his bedroom.

Something that had not been there when he had left his house…

"Shiro," Sado said in his deep voice as he stared down at the white puppy that was toying with one of the pillows scattered through the mattress. "What are you doing here?"

As expected, the puppy simply turned to Sado, waggling its tail at same time it happily barked. For a long period of time, Sado just stared at the energetic puppy, not really knowing what to do. Was the puppy not supposed to be with Orihime? And also…how on earth had the puppy managed to get inside his house?

"What's going on?" Sado asked to himself as he fell on his knees, and allowed for Shiro to start playing with his fingers, "I wonder if something happened to Inoue."

After a long time just observing Shiro trying to bit his fingers, Sado finally decided to stand up from the floor. He ought to go talk to somebody. The fact that Shiro was in his house was already more than suspicious, and now that he had some time to think about it, Sado could not help but think that something must have happened.

After making sure that Shiro had food and water in the kitchen, Sado walked out of his house, and walked towards Ichigo house as fast as he could without having to run. Once there, Sado hoped that Ichigo would call Ishida as well, and perhaps even some of the _shinigami_.

"Oh, it's you." Karin greeted not too enthusiastically as she continued holding the door by the doorknob, her eyes locked with Sado's shadowed orbs. "Ichi-nii is in his room. Feel free to come in."

"Thank you." Sado thanked, bowing slightly as he walked inside the house. After sharing a rapid hello with Yuzu, he quickly made his way towards Ichigo's bedroom before knocking on the door. He just hoped that whoever was inside the room had the answer for his problem.

"Chad!" Ichigo exclaimed as soon as he opened the door of his bedroom, and noticed who was standing outside. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," Sado started before noticing Rukia, who was now sitting on the floor, holding a manga with both her hands although her eyes were focused on him, "And with Kuchiki."

"Alright, what happened?" Ichigo asked as he stepped backwards, allowing for Sado to walk in, but he decided to stay up even though Ichigo had motioned for him to sit down. "Did something happen?"

"Shiro is at my house." Sado quickly summarized, causing for both Ichigo and Rukia to blink at his statement. When he understood that none of his friends understood what he was saying, Sado decided to continue. "Inoue's puppy; it's at my house."

"So? Did you decide to take care of it or something?" Ichigo asked as he sat down on his bed, and for a second Sado just stared at his friend. By now, Rukia had already stood up from the floor, and was now putting her manga on Ichigo's desk.

"I didn't even know it was there," Sado decided to confess, hoping that his friends would understand what he meant. "I got home a while ago, and found Shiro in my bedroom. I don't know how it even got there."

"You're saying that Shiro appeared in your bedroom…from out of nowhere?" Ichigo asked before scratching the back of his head, "Now that doesn't make much sense. Are you sure Inoue didn't talk to you…?"

"Have you tried calling Inoue first?" Rukia decided to interrupt as she crossed her arms against her chest, but Sado simply glanced at her before shaking his head. "Okay, Ichigo, go call Inoue, and ask her if she was the one who left Shiro at Sado's house."

"Eh? Why me?" Ichigo asked, but when Rukia simply glared at him, he sighed, "Fine, whatever. I'll be back in five minutes. Chad, sit down if you want, there's no need for you to stand in the middle of the room."

Without saying anything else, Ichigo left the bedroom, but not before he started mumbling about something being too troublesome under his breath. It was only when the door was closed that Sado decided to sit down on Ichigo's chair only to notice the strange way Rukia was staring at him.

"Shiro appeared at your house without you knowing?" she asked, sitting down on Ichigo's bed, and Sado nodded in reply. "Hum…and Inoue didn't call you in advance saying that she was going to drop by?"

Once again, all Sado could do was shake his head. He could see that Rukia had finally understood why he had rushed there before calling Inoue. Apparently only Ichigo had not noticed the strangeness in the situation; after all, even if Inoue had been the one to leave Shiro at Sado's house, how would she have done that? She did not have the ability to walk through walls or something along those lines.

"Have you talked to Ishida?" Rukia inquired unexpectedly, and Sado snapped from his thoughts only to shake his head again. "Hum…if Ichigo returns, saying that Inoue isn't at home, then we ought to call Ishida. Something fishy is going on around here."

"No one answers," Ichigo declared as he opened the door of his bedroom, and walked inside only to stop his tracks when he noticed the solemn look on Rukia's face, and how quiet Sado was. "Did something happen while I was out?"

"I think we need to go to Inoue's house, and see if she's there." Rukia informed as she rested a finger against her chin, her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought, "I'm starting to think something's wrong."

"What are you talking about? Inoue probably went to the market or something." Ichigo said with a small shrug as he made his way towards his bed, but before he could sat down, Rukia grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "Hey, what's the big idea?"

"I'm telling you we need to go check on Inoue," Rukia repeated in her serious voice, and Sado slowly stood up from the chair, "Don't you think it's strange that Shiro suddenly appeared at Sado's house? How could have Inoue left the puppy at Sado's house without him being there to welcome her?"

Ichigo's eyes widened at that, and Rukia promptly let go off his shirt in order to cross her arms against her chest. For a few minutes, the three friends just stood in the centre of the bedroom until Rukia glanced from Ichigo to Sado.

"We're wasting time. Let's go to Inoue's."

Due to the anxiety and worry that had started consuming their souls ever since they had realized that something wrong was most likely going on, it did not take long for Ichigo and the others to reach Orihime's residence. The serenity that the place emanated was ignored as the three friends rushed to the front door of Orihime's house.

"It seems like no one's at home," Ichigo commented as he knocked on the door while Rukia glanced around, and Sado kept his eyes locked with the closed door. "What do you think we should do?"

"We should try opening the door, but if someone saw us…" Rukia trailed off as she glanced over her shoulder only to blink when a pair of blue eyes found hers, "Ishida! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to visit Inoue-san," the last Quincy explained as he made his way up the stairs before pushing his glasses up his nose, "What are you all doing here? Did something happen?"

"Yeah, we're starting to think something did." Ichigo answered before someone could say a word, "Inoue isn't opening the door. Do you have something that we can use to open the door?"

"Kurosaki, I am not going to storm inside Inoue-san's apartment without her permission!" Ishida practically exclaimed, looking outraged by Ichigo's question. "Isn't Matsumoto-san at home? What about Captain Hitsugaya?"

"Does it look as if someone's at home?" Ichigo inquired, his eyebrow twitching in irritation, "Just pull a needle out of your pockets, and open this damn door before I break it down."

"Ichigo, you need to calm down," Sado instructed, not really sure of what he was supposed to say, but he relaxed a little bit when Rukia nodded from beside him.

"He's right, we need to think carefully." she started before pulling her cell-phone from out of nowhere, "I'll contact Renji, and ask him if Inoue has gone to the store. I'll also try to contact Matsumoto. Give me a few minutes."

"What? You're the one who was all anxious about coming here, and now that we're all worried, you're asking us to wait?" Ichigo asked under his breath, though loud enough for Ishida to hear, and the Quincy turned to him.

"May someone explain what is going on to me?" he requested, but before Ichigo could even think of something to say, Sado stepped in, and quickly explained the situation. When Sado finished talking, Ishida once again pulled his glasses up his nose in deep thought. "Do you think that Inoue-san would be capable of doing something precipitated?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ichigo questioned as he reflexively clenched his right hand into a tight fist, "Are you following the lines of all those bastards in Seireitei? Are you trying to say that Inoue's a traitor, and that she went back to Aizen's side?"

"Kurosaki, will you actually pay attention to what you're saying?" Ishida demanded as he stared at the substitute _shinigami_ with a frown on his face, but Ichigo simply continued glaring at him. "I would never, ever, think that Inoue deserted us, I was just asking if you ever thought about her being able to do what we least expect her to do."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo inquired through his teeth, anger clear in every uttered word, "Inoue would never do anything foolish. She's smart enough to know that!"

"Still, that doesn't change the fact that she has been depressed." Ishida pointed out in his normal voice, and Ichigo felt his heart skip a beat, "Add that to the remorse she has been feeling ever since we returned, and we have a good reason for her to do something unpredicted."

"Such as what?" Ichigo asked, still unable to control his anger, "Inoue wouldn't do anything without us knowing! Not when she knows that Seireitei is waiting for her to do something stupid!"

"Renji said he hasn't seen Inoue for quite some time, and that she hasn't visited Urahara-san lately either." Rukia spoke all of a sudden, and the three boys turned to look at her, "He said he'll let us know if he finds her."

"He won't find her," a voice announced, and the four friends widened their eyes in surprise before looking to their sides, and see Tōshirō and Rangiku standing at the end of the stairs, "Because Inoue Orihime is no longer in the real world."

* * *

Ever since the previous day that she could not help but feel as if something wrong was going on. Eventually her feelings started getting in the way of her training to the point of her own sensei yell that she ought to pay attention in classes or she would be dismissed.

So, as she forced herself to ignore the way her heart would occasionally squeeze, she managed to focus more on her training. Her mind, however, was not that easy to control, and thus she would seldom recall the strange feeling that had been following her.

With a sigh, Tatsuki leaned her head against the wall behind her, her elbows resting on her raised knees. Her sensei had given her five minutes to take a break before she started training again. Truthfully, Tatsuki rather be training to be there, staring at the ceiling, wondering about what could possibly be going on.

She knew that feeling extremely well. In fact, that was not the first time she was going through that situation, but still, every time it happened, she would grow concerned and distressed.

What on earth could have happened to Orihime that time?

Another sigh escaped from Tatsuki's lips as she rested her pale yellow towel on her shoulders, and she then decided to close her eyes for a moment. Although she did not know what was going on, this time she was going to trust in Kurosaki Ichigo. Despite of everything, and although he had behaved like a bastard last time she tried to make him talk, Tatsuki had to admit that Ichigo had managed to bring Orihime back.

That was why she was going to try not to worry too much about it. She knew that if something truly bad happened Ichigo would tell her, and if he did not…well, she was not in karate for nothing.

"You better take care of her," Tatsuki whispered under her breath as she allowed for her eyelids to flutter open again, but she still remained in the same position for a while longer, "because if something happens to her, you're as good as dead, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Arisawa!"

"Just make sure she's alright…" Tatsuki managed to mumble under her breath as she stood up before looking to her side, and see her sensei staring back at her, "Coming!"

* * *

Everything had been going quite well until the group walked inside the Bleach Bar, and was unable to grab Ichigo before he practically flew towards Shuhei. The sound of glass shattering on the floor echoed through the whole bar while everyone stared at the livid Ichigo and the calm-looking Hisagi Shūhei.

"What do you think you're doing, Kurosaki?" Shuhei inquired in a very tranquil tone, which only resulted in the substitute _shinigami_ looking even more infuriated and ready to kill the Lieutenant on the spot.

"What the hell did you do to Inoue?"

"Ichigo, control yourself!" Rukia demanded as she appeared next to Ichigo, and grabbed his raised fist with both her hands, "He has nothing to do with what's going on. Let him go immediately!"

"She's right; Shūhei didn't do anything to Orihime." Rangiku declared as she appeared behind Rukia, her arms crossed against her chest, "I was with him the whole time, and I can tell you, he hasn't left this place ever since yesterday."

"So, why the hell are we all here?" Ichigo asked, still visibly annoyed. "We should be looking for Inoue right now, and instead, we all decided to come here, and do nothing!"

"You seriously need to calm down, Kurosaki." Ishida informed as he appeared on Ichigo's other side, "We know that we need to find Inoue-san, but what's the point in running around without knowing what's going on?"

"The reason why we're here is because we have to talk about Inoue Orihime without having anyone eavesdropping." Tōshirō started as he sat down on the closest chair to his position, his arms folded against his chest, and everyone turned to him. "And since I know you're not going to like this, I must order all of you to sit down right away."

"Do you know what's going on?" Ichigo asked as he turned to Tōshirō, who simply stared at him with his usual serious face.

"Sit down, Kurosaki, and don't make me repeat myself again." the Captain ordered, the hint of authority clear in his voice, and Ichigo closed both his hands into tight fists before sitting down on a chair. Quickly, everybody else mimicked his actions, Tōshirō watching all of them in silence.

"We actually cannot tell you what happened exactly." Rangiku started as she sat on the table, in front of her Captain, and crossed her legs. "All we know is that Orihime left our sight for five minutes, and before we knew it, she was gone."

"We believe she went to Seireitei without telling us." Tōshirō continued, his eyes locked with Ichigo's stressed form, and everyone blinked in surprise at his announcement. "We started getting suspicious of her behaviour when Inoue started showing clear signs of not being at easy with all of her friends being called forth to participate in interrogatories."

"And when Orihime told me that she had been attacked by some guy a few nights ago, we knew we had to keep a sharp eye." Rangiku added, this time gesticulating a little bit, "However, for some reason, she managed to escape from us."

"What makes you think Inoue would go to Seireitei?" Rukia inquired suddenly, a frown on her face, "It's not possible for her to go there with no hell butterfly to guide her or without someone else from Seireitei present to aid her."

"I'm surprised you haven't noticed it yet, Kuchiki-san." Shuhei began, and everybody turned to him, and Rukia narrowed her eyes at his comment. "I think this is my fault. I did something I wasn't supposed to do, and that irritated a few people."

"What did you do?" Ishida asked right when Ichigo was about to open his mouth, "Did you say something to Inoue-san that you weren't supposed to say?"

"What he did is irrelevant, because he was ordered to do it." Tōshirō finished that point before staring at the teenagers scattered throughout the bar, "In case you haven't noticed, Shinkai Hasu isn't present."

"So what? Don't tell me that she—" Ichigo stopped talking as his mind finally processed what the Captain of the tenth division had just said. As his eyes widened in realization, Ichigo stood up from his chair, "Are you saying that Shinkai was the one who took Inoue to Seireitei?"

"That seems plausible." Sado commented as he stared at both Tōshirō and Rangiku, who did not look away from Ichigo.

"Wait, why would she do that?" Rukia questioned as she also stood up from her chair, "Wasn't her job to find proves that could help Inoue? Why did she take Inoue to Seireitei so abruptly?"

"We don't know the causes." Rangiku started, "But we have been trying to contact Captain Ukitake, to ask him if he knows what's going on. For some reason, he doesn't answer us, which only supports our belief that Hasu took Orihime to Seireitei."

"But why?" Ichigo asked before shaking his head, "Never mind, we need to go to Soul Society immediately! There's no way I'm going to let them arrest Inoue when she didn't do anything wrong."

"Actually, you should know why Orihime decided to go to Seireitei without telling you." Rangiku declared right when Ichigo was about to walk towards the front door of the bar, "Because it involves all of you."

"What are you talking about, Matsumoto-san?" Ishida inquired, and Rangiku glanced at Tōshirō, who gave her a light nod, before gazing directly at Ichigo.

"I believe that Orihime went there because she wants to protect all of you from what's going on." Rangiku explained, and Ichigo felt his heart skip a beat at those words. "I would actually go further and say that Orihime wanted to save you all from whatever may happen to her."

_"You know, Rangiku-san…" she started in a quiet voice, and Rangiku stopped munching on her chips, "I…I'm really sorry for all the trouble I'm causing you, and I…if I could, I would try to resolve this on my own, but…"_

_Orihime focused her attention on the white ceiling of the kitchen, aware of Rangiku's eyes on her._

_"Now I just want this to end." the girl admitted, "I know everyone is waiting to see if I still have some sort of association with Aizen, but I'm also aware that they are doing this because they want to make sure you're all safe. That's why I'm trying so hard to stay positive; I know that this is already tiring for everyone, so I…I'm doing what I can to make sure I don't do something that can affect the situation."_

_"Yes, I knew you were being silly." Rangiku commented unexpectedly and Orihime turned to her in confusion. "I'm not going to pretend this whole thing isn't tiring, but I don't think you should lie to us. If you want to cry then cry; if you want to scream then scream. If you want to tell Ichigo that you love him, then tell him."_

_"W-What?! Rangiku-san!" Orihime exclaimed in horror, but Rangiku simply shrugged when the girl turned to her with eyes widened in shock._

_"What? The topic was becoming too gloomy." the female shinigami answered good-naturedly, and Orihime dropped her head at those words. "But the point is that you don't have to worry about us. All we have to do is to answer some questions, while you…"_

_There was a moment of silence, and before Orihime knew what was going on, Rangiku had pulled her into a tight hug._

_"Just trust in us, alright?" the shinigami asked in a low tone, and Orihime managed to look up from Rangiku's breasts to stare at the woman, "We won't allow anyone to harm you. I'm sure Ichigo would agree with me if he was here."_

_"I know…" Orihime whispered, but a small yelp left her lips when Rangiku suddenly increased her grip._

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**PomegranateQueen**_ – It's curious that you say that, because I really love Tite Kubo's pace. Sure, I am dying (like most _Bleach_ fans) to see the epic Ulquiorra x Ichigo fight, _but_ I think that all the fights we are witnessing now are kick ass battles. The time he takes to describe things, the way he illustrates the characters problems and doubts…heck, I loved the _Turn Back the Pendulum_ filler! The way he suddenly throws something completely unexpected into the manga is just awesome! So I am quite happy (and honoured) to know you like my pace as well. I like to give time for the readers to get used to my story, and to get used to all of the characters at same time I try to get acquainted with all of the characters' behaviours and such. So, honestly, thank you. Thank you for sticking around, and thank you for being honest

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – You know, I think that Orihime wouldn't be Orihime if she didn't end up doing something stupid. I mean, that's who she is! Besides, for us it may be stupid, but for her it makes perfect sense so… (shrugs) go figure. Anyway, I've decided to keep updating every two/three days, and it seems that most people are quite thankful for it (hehe). I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Well, I decided to show that even Kuchiki Rukia ends up being troubled about something, and we all know how teachers just seem to love to interrupt our meditation in classes so… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and yes, the next one will come out rather quickly as well.

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – So many questions, and so little answers (for now)…

_**Celestial Night**_ – So, what did you think of this chapter? It wasn't very eventful, but oh well, action will come out later I promise .

_**Major Hinata Fan**_ – Aww, thank you so much for reading this! Yes, I am trying to follow the manga and the anime, but if you have any doubts please let me know. I'll do my best to answer your questions. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	13. Glass in Shackles

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

Okay, so chaos and revelations are finally up…or they will be in a very close future (hehe). I know I say this all the time, but I am extremely happy to know that you're all enjoying the pace of the story as well as the plot itself. I am also relieved to know that – so far – I have been able to do an okay job when it comes to the characters being…well, in character. Anyway, I'm going to shut up. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_Glass in Shackles_

It was curious how nature appeared to grow quiet and sad as the sun continued setting behind the tall trees. Birds were still crossing the now coloured skies, and even though chirps would sporadically break the solitude of that moment, it seemed as if the earth was slowly dozing off after a long and tiring day.

A pair of navy blue eyes rested on a cloud as a fresh wind blew from west. A few leaves dared to abandon the security of branches, and were now waltzing with the wind until it died down, forcing the still dancing leaves to fall onto the ground.

"Why did you bring her here?" a voice inquired suddenly at same time a pale hand reached forward, and grabbed a green leaf that had fallen on the woman's shoulder. "Do you realize what you've done?"

"What else could I do?" Hasu inquired as Jushiro sat down next to her, still holding the leaf with his fingers. "She hesitated at the beginning, but the look on her eyes revealed that she wanted to do this…for the sake of her friends. It was not my place to judge her decision on that moment."

"And now? Do you regret bringing her here?" Jushiro asked, but the female _shinigami_ simply continued staring at the darkening heavens above. "They already know that she is here. There is no point in trying to hide her."

"I never thought we were supposed to keep her hidden." Hasu declared before gazing at the Captain through the corner of her eyes. She blinked, though, when she noticed that he was not only staring back at her, but that he was smiling as well. "Why are you smiling? By the way you sounded it looked as if you were worried."

"I'm not going to deny that I am worried about that girl's wellbeing, but it is nice to see that not all members of the eleventh division are heartless." Jushiro decided to elaborate, and Hasu immediately looked away from him. "You care for that girl, don't you?"

"When you asked for me to go to the real world, it was with the intention of being easier for me to observe Inoue Orihime." Hasu started, "I did what I was told, and thus I finished my mission by bringing the girl here."

"That doesn't change the fact that you could have returned without bringing her with you." Jushiro pointed out only to laugh lightly when Hasu grunted in reply, "This sure is refreshing. It's nice to see you worrying about someone for a change."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hasu inquired as she raised an eyebrow, and sent Jushiro a strange look, but the Captain of the 13th division simply laughed once again, so warmly that it sent a shiver up Hasu's spine.

"After everything that was going on between you and the other _shinigami_…or shall I say, what was _not_ going on between you and the other _shinigami_, it's nice to see that you're warming up again." Jushiro quickly summarized, and this time Hasu scoffed at his behaviour before looking away.

All of a sudden, the wind blew stronger, and while Jushiro heaved a sigh, Hasu stood up from the floor. An emotionless mask quickly took over Hasu's facial features as she stared at the tree in front of her.

"Took you long enough."

"Don't bother me with that attitude of yours, 4th seat." a voice spoke from the tree, but Hasu simply crossed her arms against her chest. "I know she's here, and it's my duty to take her."

"Calm down, Soi Fon, the poor girl isn't going anywhere." Jushiro declared as he also got up to his feet, and the Captain of the second division finally revealed herself, now standing just a few meters away from the two other _shinigami_. "Do we must haste this?"

"I wouldn't have the need to haste this, had the girl been taken to where she was supposed to be." Soi Fon answered as she glared at Hasu, who simply looked back at her still with an impassive look on her face. "What is she doing here, anyway?"

"Does that really matter?" Hasu inquired before Jushiro could part his lips to speak, "However, you are not going to take her without my permission. I was the one who brought the girl here, and therefore, I shall go wherever she goes."

"Since when do you care about what happens to others anyway?" Soi Fon asked back as she raised an eyebrow, but when Hasu simply continued staring at her, she shrugged. "Whatever. I give you ten minutes to do whatever you want, and then we're off."

"Don't worry, we won't run." Hasu replied, causing Soi Fon to glare at her before disappearing by using _shunpo_. When they were sure they were by themselves again, Jushiro turned to Hasu, and smiled at her.

"I'll go call Inoue-san, so that you two may talk in private before Captain Soi Fon decides to call the stealth forces."

"Thank you, Captain Ukitake." Hasu thanked with a small bow, but Jushiro simply smiled at her one last time before walking inside his house. With an inaudible sigh, Hasu gazed at the now darker sky, and pressed her arms harder against her chest.

* * *

Things were definitely not going as planned, and that was proving to be extremely troublesome and frustrating. After leaving Bleach Bar, everyone had decided to go visit Urahara and Yoruichi, to see if they could give them a hand. However, not surprisingly, as soon as they had walked inside the shop only Tessai, Jinta and Ururu were there to welcome them, along with Renji.

"What do you mean, she went missing?" Renji inquired as he raised an eyebrow, his eyes locked with Rukia's petite figure, and the girl turned her head to look at him since she was sitting next to him.

"What do you think that means? She's gone!" Rukia exclaimed, looking too annoyed to even give details about the situation, and Renji crossed his arms against his chest in deep thought. "We were hoping Urahara-san could tell us something about what's going on, but as usual, when we need help, he vanishes!"

"Kuchiki-san, Tessai-san informed us that Urahara-san went on a stroll with Yoruichi-san; I'm sure they will be back soon." Ishida said before he pushed his glasses up his nose, "We can take profit of this moment to try to come up with a plan."

"That would be wise." Sado agreed with a short nod, but his words only met silence.

If anyone walked inside that living-room on that moment would meet a group of teenagers, all lost in deep thought. All of them were carrying contemplative expressions on their faces, except for a certain orange haired boy, whose frown grew deeper and deeper as time continued to roll by.

"Ah, I can't just stay here and do nothing!" Ichigo finally burst at same time he stood up from the floor, his hands closed into tight fists, "We have to go to Soul Society now, and bring Inoue back home!"

"Don't be stupid, that won't help!" Rukia exclaimed as she glared at the substitute _shinigami_, her arms folded against her chest as she continued sitting down, on her legs, "Stop being so hasty, and start thinking of a plan!"

"Kuchiki-san is right, Kurosaki, if we just storm inside Seireitei, we'll most likely make everything worse." Ishida started in his calm tone, his eyes locked with Ichigo's blazing orbs, "Remember that we want to help Inoue-san, and not jeopardize her already fragile situation."

"Still, I'm tired of being here, and do nothing!" Ichigo declared through his gritted teeth, "I don't care about what you guys think, but I'm tired of doing nothing!"

"Ichigo, I know why you're like this, but control yourself!" Rukia ordered before someone could say a word, and Ichigo turned to her. "I know how you're feeling, but this time we can't risk doing something stupid. If we end up doing something wrong, Inoue will pay for it."

Another stressing silence fell inside the living-room as soon as Ichigo had sat down, and started thinking about they could do to help Orihime. Mutely, Ishida started glancing at all of his friends before gazing down, at some random spot in the tatami in front of him.

He knew that Ichigo was partially right; they had to do something to bring Orihime back from Seireitei before she ended up doing something extremely foolish. However, Rukia was correct as well; they could not haste anything or they would most likely put Orihime in danger.

But then again, it was exactly because of that trail of thought that the whole group had decided to go to Urahara's shop. All of them, no matter how much they kept saying that Urahara was most likely not to help them, could not help but hope that the owner of the shop would tell them something…

"Oh, oh, oh, what's this? Having a party at my house without me knowing?" a laughing voice questioned unexpectedly, and everybody immediately looked at the door of the living-room only to see Urahara standing there. "Oh, but isn't someone missing?"

"Urahara-san—"

"Inoue went to Seireitei without telling us, and we have to get her back!" Ichigo swiftly interrupted Rukia at same time he got to his feet once again, and for the third time an uncomfortable silence fell inside the living-room.

"Inoue-san did what?" Urahara inquired as he closed his white fan that had been covering his mouth up until that moment. "She went to Soul Society without telling any of you? Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, we checked her house, and tried to contact her, but nothing worked." Rukia quickly clarified as she also stood up from the floor, and one by one, all of the other teenagers mimicked her actions. "And Shinkai is missing as well."

"We even talked to Hisagi-san." Ishida added at same time he pushed his glasses up his nose, "Captain Hitsugaya and Matsumoto-san are trying to contact Captain Ukitake as we speak. We decided to come here, because we were hoping you could give us a hand."

"It seems to me that your vacations are over, Kisuke." a voice commented suddenly, and everyone watched as Yoruichi appeared from behind Urahara while holding a bottle of milk. "What do you want to do?"

"It's not as if I have many options," Urahara started as he glanced at the woman behind him, his eyes shadowed by his hat, and then he turned to the group inside of the living-room. "I guess I'll have to open a passage for them."

"What? You think we should just go there, and act as if nothing's going on?" Renji inquired as he stared at Urahara, who glanced at him moments later. "Do you really think that's the best approach?"

"Well, I never expected for you to actually sit down, and think of a plan." Urahara confessed as he continued staring at Renji before gazing at the rest of the group, "After all, you have never been very good at waiting. You always prefer to be hasty to be rational."

"Fine, if all you're going to do is chat, then I'll go rescue Inoue myself!" Ichigo exclaimed out of the blue, and everyone turned to him. "Urahara, please, open a passage so that I may go to Soul Society."

"Hey, wait, there's no way we're going to let you go alone!" Rukia declared as she raised a hand towards the orange haired boy, "We're in this together, and besides, Inoue is our friend."

"She's right." Sado agreed with a short nod while Renji simply smirked at Ichigo. Ishida, on the other hand, simply crossed his arms against his chest, but he ended up nodding when Ichigo glanced at him.

"It's not as if I can let you go by yourself; knowing you, you'll probably get lost as soon as we get there." Ishida commented, causing Ichigo to start twitching in irritation, but for everybody's surprise, the substitute _shinigami_ did not retort.

"Very well, I will give you an hour to get ready." Urahara stated, swiftly cutting the conversation short, "I am quite sure some of you want to trade their outfits, so make sure you'll be here on time, or you'll be left behind."

After exclaimed a loud 'yes' the whole group quickly abandoned the living-room as they rushed towards the front door of the shop. When the group's footsteps could no longer be heard, Yoruichi glanced at Urahara's back, and took a long sip of her drink.

"Are you sure about what you're doing?" she inquired, her eyes never leaving Urahara's form not even when the former Captain turned his head to gaze at her, and reveal his wide smile.

"Of course, it's not as if they have to get into any sort of fights." Urahara started, but Yoruichi did not even blink at the content expression on his face, "Compared to what they have been doing so far, this will be a walk in the park."

* * *

It was with an inaudible sigh that Orihime allowed for Soi Fon to grab both her wrists with a hand. At the beginning she had been quite confused about why Soi Fon did not want to use shackles, but now Orihime could not help but be glad. The use of restraints would practically mean that she was guilty of everything that was going on, and that was something Seireitei had yet to announce.

For some unknown reason, Hasu had decided to stay behind with Captain Ukitake. Frankly, Orihime had hoped that the fourth seat of the Eleventh division would accompany her, but apparently Hasu's job was done, and she no longer had anything to do with what was going on.

But then again, it was not as if it mattered. That was not the first time she was alone, with all the eyes turned to her. In fact, compared with Las Noches, everyone from Seireitei was quite nice, and Orihime strongly believed that whoever was going to judge her was not going to be as bad as Aizen was.

It did not take long for Orihime, after being escorted by Soi Fon and some members of the stealth forces, to find herself locked up inside a cell. For what she had been able to see, no one else was there, aside from the guard that was watching over her.

After staring at the guard's back, Orihime silently made her way towards the bed, located on the left side of the cell, and sat down on it. Unconsciously, Orihime rested her hands on her lap, and quickly closed them into loosened fists. She wondered if Sado had already found Shiro at his house…

Deep down, Orihime hoped he had. After telling Hasu that she wanted to go to Seireitei, Orihime had only had the opportunity to take Shiro to her friend's house. She had been unable to write a note or to even call one of her friends. However, now that she had time to think about what was going on, Orihime could not help but think that perhaps it had been better that way.

Sure, her friends would probably be worried sick about her, but at least now there was no one around her to try to dissuade her of her ideas. This time, on contrary of what had happened during her stay in Las Noches, she was going to do something to help her friends.

Quietly, Orihime turned her head to her side so that she could stare at the window on top of the wall behind her. The irony of it all was that all she could see was the Last Quarter, standing still on top of the dark heavens.

When had it grown dark? She had even failed to notice the sunset…

_Are you scared? You're useless to Aizen now. There's no one left to protect you. It's over. You will die alone here, where no one can touch you._

_Silence…_

_I asked you if you're scared._

_I'm not scared. Everyone came to save me, so my heart is already with them._

_…Nonsense. You're unafraid because your friends came for you? Are you serious?_

_Yes. When I first heard they were coming to rescue me, I was a little happy and a lot sad. I came here to protect everyone, so why did they have to follow me? I wondered why they hadn't realized. But when I felt Kuchiki-san fall, and when I saw Kurosaki-kun fighting, none of it mattered anymore. I just didn't want Kurosaki-kun to get hurt. I just wanted everyone safe. That's when I realized. They probably felt the same. If one of them had disappeared the way I did, I know I'd do the same thing._

_Oh?_

_Maybe it's impossible to feel exactly the same way as someone else, but you can treasure your friends and keep them close in your heart. I think that's what it means to make your hearts as one._

"I'm sorry, everyone." Orihime whispered to herself as she continued observing the moon, and she mechanically clenched her hands into tight fists, "I am sorry…Kurosaki-kun."

* * *

"Is everyone ready?" Urahara asked as he stared at the group behind him, only to blink when he noticed that Ishida looked as if he was ready to explode, while Sado looked visibly anxious. "Oh, where's Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-kun?"

"They're obviously late." Renji replied as he continued leaning against a rock, his arms crossed against his chest. "Do you mind giving them a few more minutes? It's not as if we can go to Soul Society without them."

"I told you; one hour." Urahara started, but he trailed off when shouts started to be heard from above the basement, and everyone stared at the stairs behind them. Seconds later, both Rukia and Ichigo appeared, coming down the stairs as they continued fighting.

"This is all your fault!"

"My fault? How can it be my fault? How would I know my dad was at home?"

"You should have told him we had an emergency!"

"Ah! As if that would have worked! Next time, you tell him to bug off!"

"Kurosaki! Kuchiki-san! What happened?" Ishida inquired as soon as the two shinigami reached the rest of the group, still arguing, "We were about to leave without you!"

"Ah, it's my idiotic dad's fault!" Ichigo snapped before shaking his head, "But never mind that now, we have to go! We have wasted too much time already and Inoue needs us."

"I wonder whose fault is that we're running late." Rukia grunted under her breath, loud enough for Ichigo to hear, and consequently glare at her. Urahara, on the other hand, simply coughed into his hand before stepping to his side.

"Very well, I will contact Captain Hitsugaya as soon as you leave. I'll let him know about what you're doing." Urahara said, and the group nodded in silent agreement, "Good luck bringing Inoue-san back!"

"You bet we're going to bring her back." Ichigo growled under his breath, but both Rukia and Ishida, who had listened to his words, glanced sideways at him before smirking at his determination. "C'mon guys, lets do it!"

As Ichigo and the others crossed the passage that had been opened for them, a hell butterfly crossed the dark skies before it rested on a long, white finger. For a moment, Ukitake just stared at it before he listened to the message although he knew what it was all about.

Inoue Orihime was in Seireitei, and it was time to test the renegade.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**Celestial Night**_ – I know! I wish the chapters could be bigger too! I think that the need to leave cliffhangers in almost every chapter was what caused the chapters ending up rather short (tears), but I promise I'll try to do better in the future! As for Orihime…well, I guess you can see now what's going on with her. Thank you so much for everything, and don't worry, you won't have to wait much for the next chapter XD

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – Well, the problem isn't going to be fixed that fast. It wouldn't be _Bleach_ if things were fixed in a matter of hours, don't you agree? And hey, was Ichigo angry enough?

_**chuchootrain**_ – So, how was it? Did you expect that sort of reaction?

_**ELLIE 31773**_– Oh, hey! What's up? You know, I'd like to read Ulquiorra and Ichigo's fight now, because this way we'd have to wait to see the final battles between the Captains and the Espada. I'm really excited about reading/watching Kyōraku vs Stark and Toshiro vs Halibel . I bet those will be awesome!

_**quivering quill**_ – Well, this is the only story I update this fast so you can expect a new update soon D

_**PaN-cHaN862005**_ – Thank you. I hope you liked this one as well.

_**Major Hinata Fan**_ – Well, I was trying to follow the story line when I wrote this story, because this happens after the _Hueco Mundo Arc, _and beforethe _Winter War Arc_. Also, I know that seeing Orihime this depressed isn't exactly cannon, but I thought people would accept it. Even if some people didn't get this depressed, I'm still sure they would at least blame themselves for what happened. As for couples…to be honest, I can't put two characters together as a couple in two chapters. It doesn't matter if they are cannon or not; I simply cannot put them together that fast unless they are already a couple in the anime/manga when I start writing the story. I like to take things steadily, because that's what happens in the real world. Relationships are built; they don't exactly spring from the ground so I am quite happy to know you like this pace. Thank you for everything .

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – To be honest, I only added Tatsuki's scene when I was almost finishing this story. I suddenly realized that even though she doesn't show up that much on my story, I simply cannot ignore or forget her relationship with Orihime. After all, like you said, Tatsuki always knows when something's wrong with her best friend, not to mention that she did know that something was wrong when Orihime went to Las Noches. Therefore, I decided that it was only normal to add a small Tatsuki scene connected with Orihime's unexpected departure to Seireitei. I am quite glad to know you liked it ). As for Shiro…how could I forget such an adorable puppy?

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – Yes, I think that if Ichigo and Orihime have something in common that will be their knack to do stupid things for the sake of their friends. But hey, it's not as if we'd want them in some other way, ne? I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	14. Last Quarter

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

Yes! I finally started writing the sequel for this story. Geez, it was getting hard to start the first chapter! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with the idea I have in my mind. Anyway, I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter; some characters finally have their moment, while others still have to wait for their fifteen minutes of fame (hehe). Kidding. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

* * *

**Chapter 13**

_Last Quarter_

The first part of their plan was quite simple really; all they had to do was walk inside Seireitei without anyone spotting them. Sure, as expected, they had managed to accomplish what they had agreed to do, and thankfully it did not take long for them to walk inside.

The second part of their plan was to go visit Captain Ukitake, and hopefully find out about Orihime's whereabouts. However, they had been foolish enough to forget one not-so-little detail.

"Ahhhh! Get away from me!"

"Stop running away! Grab your sword, and face me like a man!"

"Ahahaha, Ken-chan is happy today!"

Two waves of dust could be seen from any position in Seireitei, as Kurosaki Ichigo desperately tried to get away from the violent Zaraki Kenpachi, who was trying to slice him in half with his sword.

On the sidelines stood Ishida, Sado, Rukia and Renji, all of them too bewildered about what was going on to actually try to do something to help Ichigo. In fact, when Kenpachi had first showed up, Renji had tried to give Ichigo a hand only to regret that action when Kenpachi almost cut off his head.

"Hum…shouldn't we try to do something about this?" Ishida inquired as he looked away from Ichigo to gaze at the rest of his friends, "No one is supposed to know that we're here, you know?"

"Well, thank you for standing the obvious, but do you have any idea of what we may do to help him without getting us killed?" Rukia asked back as she kept observing Ichigo running away from Kenpachi while Lieutenant Kusajishi Yachiru managed to hold onto the Captain's shoulder as she continued laughing.

"What if we leave him alone, and go rescue Inoue ourselves?" Renji questioned suddenly as he looked away from Ichigo in order to look at Rukia. "This way when Ichigo manages to find a place to hide, we'll be back with Inoue."

"Don't you event tempt him." Rukia warned, her arms crossed against her chest, and Renji would have chuckled at her reply if Ichigo's shouting for help hadn't caught his attention.

"Kurosaki! Stop fooling around!" Ishida finally yelled, revealing his exasperation, and the orange haired boy stared at him as if he was crazy.

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?"

"Will you just hide in a corner and play dead?" Ishida snapped, and everybody sweatdropped when Ichigo tried to glare at the last Quincy. Needless to say that since Ichigo was trying to look menacing while running away from Kenpachi, his glare was everything but effective.

"I think we should sit down, and wait for the show to end." Renji commented in an attempt to humour the situation, but he blinked when Rukia silently sat down on the ground. After sharing a look with the two other boys, Renji ended up sitting down next to Rukia.

"Did someone bring popcorns?" Rukia inquired as she continued to watch Ichigo trying to escape from Kenpachi, and the three boys that were on both her sides sweatdropped at her tone.

After almost one hour watching Ichigo trying to find a place to hide, the group finally managed to get away from Kenpachi. However, truth to be told, no one had actually expected to join Ichigo in the running until they were finally close to the training grounds. Fortunately, Kenpachi had lost them, and all of them hoped he would not find them in a close future.

"Idiot, why didn't you hide when Captain Kenpachi showed up?" Rukia asked, not bothering to hide her irritation, but Ichigo simply glared back at her.

"Captain Ukitake."

At those two words, the group gazed at Sado only to see that he was staring to his right. Silently, the rest of the young adults gazed to their sides only to blink when they noticed that the Captain of the 13th Division was indeed standing not too far from them.

"Captain!" Rukia blurred out before getting on her knees, and bow at him, and Renji quickly mimicked her actions. Ishida simply nodded in respect as did Sado, while Ichigo simply continued staring at the newcomer.

"It has been a while, hasn't it, Kuchiki-san?" Jushiro inquired as he smiled faintly at the female _shinigami_, who simply raised her head before nodding. "I'm sure I know the reason why you're all here."

"Where's Inoue?" Ichigo asked before someone else could utter a word, and both Rukia and Renji took the cue to get back to their feet. "What have you done to her?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo, first of all, allow me to say that nothing has been done to Inoue Orihime." Jushiro started, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked towards the group. "She's currently in a cell, while General Yamamoto is informed of her presence."

"You're going to judge her here?" Ichigo asked through clenched teeth, but Jushiro simply continued staring at him with a tranquil expression on his face. "Are you going to allow that? She's human! And she's certainly not a traitor!"

"You are well aware that I'm not the one who's going to judge what happens to Inoue Orihime." Jushiro calmly explained as he stopped in front of Ichigo. "I wish I could be of more help, but the truth is that so far all I can do is to examine the reports of all interrogatories that have taken place so far."

"To hell with that!"

"Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed as soon as those words abandoned the substitute _shinigami_'s mouth. "Be careful with what you say! Anything you may say here will most likely be used against Inoue! So control yourself!"

"Ukitake-san, you know what may happen if this continues, don't you?" Ichigo continued, ignoring Rukia's words as he kept his eyes locked with the Captain's black orbs. "You know what may happen to Inoue, right?"

"I'll give you my opinion." Jushiro started, but when the wind suddenly blew from north, he paused for a moment. "It is true that it will be wrong if they ever decide to evaluate Inoue Orihime while she is living. But we cannot forget that Inoue Orihime went to Las Noches willingly."

"But that's—"

"And that before she went there," Ukitake continued, politely stopping Ichigo from speaking, "she was allowed to say goodbye to you, Kurosaki-san. Not only that but she healed you as well, and that's something that everyone here will bear in mind."

"Captain Ukitake, anyone who looks at Inoue will see that she's incapable of harming a fly!" Rukia stepped in, no longer wanting to hear her Captain say such things. "I understand that you are being rational and straightforward, but still this is Inoue we're talking about!"

"I don't like saying this either," Jushiro admitted as he stared at Rukia, "but it's the truth. The worst case scenario will be having Inoue Orihime judged here, and be banned from ever contacting Soul Society again. She may also be stripped of any connections with you, or they may also alter her memory so that she may never recall even meeting you."

Everybody widened their eyes in shock at those words at same time Ichigo closed his hands into tight fists. Then, before someone could even do something, Renji stepped forward.

"That's insane! We're talking about erasing months of memories!" he exclaimed, "To use a memory modifier to erase so many things may develop a trauma or even cause her to go into coma!"

"I know." Jushiro confessed before closing his eyes in deep thought, "But like I said, these are the worst case scenarios. Everyone will use all information we have to investigate Inoue's situation. The fact that she came here freely may give her some points."

"Where is she?" Ichigo asked all of a sudden, and everyone turned to him only to notice how his eyes were shadowed by his hair since he had his head down. When no one answered him, the young man slowly raised his eyes, and stared directly at Jushiro. "Where is Inoue?"

"I'm sorry, but that's classified information." Jushiro started, the tone of his voice never changing, and Ichigo closed his fists even tighter so that he could feel his nails piercing his skin. "I understand that you want to help her, but fighting won't do any good. On the contrary, if you try to fight someone, you'll most likely put Inoue in danger."

"Don't screw around! You know this is wrong!" Ichigo practically yelled as he raised a hand in the air, "What do you want me to do? Just sit down, and wait until someone tells me that Inoue is going to forget about all of us? Don't give me that shit!"

"Calm down!" Renji ordered at same time he rested a hand on Ichigo's shoulder, causing the orange haired boy to look at him. "Don't you listen to what people say? Anything else you say or do will just make things worse for her."

"But—"

"What do you want us to do, Captain Ukitake?" Ishida asked, swiftly interrupting Ichigo, who simply looked down when his friend spoke up. "With all due respect, you know very well that we can't just stay here and do nothing."

"I agree." Sado concurred with a short nod, and Jushiro stared at the whole group before mentally sighing. "We have to go help Inoue."

"For now, I ask for you to stay with me." Jushiro started after pondering about the situation for a moment, "I know this is extremely difficult for you, but for now, I do not think there's something you can do."

"How can you ask us to wait?" Ichigo questioned, anger visible in his voice and face, but Rukia raised a hand towards him while she kept her eyes on her Captain, "Rukia, wha—?"

"We understand." Rukia started without looking away from Jushiro, a mask of determination on her face, while her dark eyes showed all of her strength of mind. "For now, we will wait."

* * *

Without moving her head, Rukia started glancing at the scenery in front of her before crossing her arms against her chest at same time she heaved a sigh. Next to her was Renji, talking to Ishida and Sado about what they were supposed to do. Captain Ukitake had long ago excused himself, and had disappeared inside of his residence.

And then there was Kurosaki Ichigo, who was currently standing in the middle of garden, staring at the Last Quarter.

After touching Renji lightly on his shoulder, silently indicating that she was going to leave for a moment, Rukia stood up, and made her way towards Ichigo's side. All of them had noticed how Ichigo had grown quieter after talking to Ukitake. They had all been expecting for Ichigo to turn to them, and tell them that they were going to leave regardless of the consequences, but instead Ichigo had simply decided to agree with Rukia, and stay in Ukitake's quarters.

Rukia did not know for how long she just stood on the same spot, staring at Ichigo's back. She could tell that he hated the situation they were in, and that was exactly why she did not understand why he had accepted the idea of staying there, waiting to hear about what was going to happen to Orihime.

"Ichigo, what are you doing here?" Rukia decided to ask as she made her way towards the boy's side, but when she stopped next to him, and stared at his face, she could not help but feel bad for him. Ichigo's attention was focused on the Last Quarter, his face no longer holding his usual frown; instead, his face was emotionless, his eyes lost in thought.

"Hey, Ichigo…"

"When you were taken to Soul Society," Ichigo started without looking away from the moon, and Rukia turned her body towards him, "Inoue kept asking me if I was sure that I wanted to take you back to the real world, and consequently take you away from your family and friends."

There was a pause, but the two friends kept their positions.

"I remember that before I could reply, Inoue suddenly stood up, and said she knew that even if she scolded me like she was doing on that moment, I already had my mind set." Ichigo continued, "She then said something about me puckering up my lip, scrunch my chin up, cross my arms, and then say something with what she described as being a haughty pose."

"Did she tell you about what you'd say while in that position?" Rukia asked, not really sure about why Ichigo was telling her all that, but the substitute _shinigami_ simply crossed his arms against his chest as he continued staring at the moon.

"Accordingly to Inoue, I'd say something along the lines 'as long as you're alive, you'll always have a chance of meeting your family. It's when you're dead when you can't.' And then…"

When Ichigo trailed off, Rukia let out an inaudible sigh. Perhaps, she did know why Ichigo was telling her about what had happened after she was taken to Soul Society.

"And then she gave me one of those bright smiles of her," Ichigo proceeded, "and said: 'The Kurosaki-kun I known would answer like this'. And then she told me to go rescue you…to fight for you because she would be cheering for me."

"Ichigo…"

"And now they say that if we do something wrong, Inoue may forget all about us." the orange haired boy added, and Rukia blinked when he turned his head to his side in order to look at her, "And I don't know why, but I really don't like that idea."

"Is that why you accepted to not do anything until Captain Ukitake tells us something?" Rukia asked, and when Ichigo nodded lightly in reply she sighed again. "Listen, I understand that you may be reticent about this whole thing, but…I need to agree with you; the idea of Inoue forgetting all about us is kind of distracting."

"So, you think we did the right choice when we decided to stay here?" Ichigo inquired, his usual frown gradually returning to his impassive face, and Rukia let out a snort as she glanced to her side for a second. "Because, let me tell you, at the moment, I really want to kick some butts, and rescue Inoue."

"Well, to be honest, I want to do something as well." Rukia confessed as she stared at Ichigo in the eye, "But this time I really think we ought to do things correctly. This isn't Las Noches, and even though we have many comrades here, we really can't mess this up."

"She's right." a third voice joined in, and the two friends looked behind them only to see Ishida getting closer, Renji and Sado following the Quincy in silence. "I guess this is a test to our perseverance and patience. We cannot attack for we do not know where Inoue-san is, and even if we did, we cannot risk her safety."

"While she's in a cell, she's safe." Sado added with a short nod, obviously agreeing with what Ishida had just said, and Renji rested a hand on his hip.

"Yeah, this may be a pain in the ass, but it's the best we can do for now." he continued, "While we wait, I'll contact Captain Hitsugaya and Ikkaku and see what they're doing in the real world."

"I'll give you a hand." Rukia stepped in before making her way to Renji's side, "The rest of you, try to stay put, and don't do anything stupid while we're gone."

"Don't worry, Kuchiki-san, I won't let Kurosaki do anything foolish." Ishida assured, causing Rukia to glance at the substitute _shinigami_, who was staring at the Last Quarter again. "Sado will stay with us as well."

"Alright, see you in a few minutes." Rukia replied before turning around, and disappear inside Ukitake's house, Renji following her in silence. For a moment, Ishida just stared at the house in front of him before gazing at Sado.

"Alright, Kurosaki, we hav—" Ishida stopped talking as soon as he glanced at the spot where he had last seen Ichigo, only to notice that the young man was no longer there. "What the…? Kurosaki!"

* * *

"Excuse me."

At the request, Orihime looked up from her tray in time to see her guard rushing out of the room. He was the second person to do that; the other guard had also left in a rush after giving her a snack. Maybe there was something in her food that made them sick?

Blinking, Orihime gazed at the food she had on her lap, and pondered about what could possibly be wrong. Perhaps it had something to do with her rice balls? After all, she had asked if they could add some wasabi, honey and red beans to it, but that could not be such an unusual request…could it?

With a sigh, Orihime grabbed one of the three rice balls, and took a small bite before gazing at the window next to her. Had the guards not asked her about what she would like to eat, Orihime would have not been aware of time. She could hardly believe it was already so dark, the Last Quarter shinning brightly on top of the mysterious heavens.

She wondered about what her friends could be doing. Regardless of being locked up in a cell, Orihime knew they were close by. She had sensed Ichigo's reiatsu, close followed by all of her friends', a long time ago.

Perhaps it had been foolish of her part to go to Soul Society without telling them.

As sadness started consuming her soul, Orihime put the barely touched rice ball down before dropping her gaze to some random spot on the wall across from where she was. She guessed her friends would most likely want to kill her as soon as they found her…

_People like you disgust me. You kept putting a sad face on, and hope that other people will save you. That's so pitiful._

As those words echoed through her mind, Orihime closed her eyes, and pressed the back of her head against the wall behind her. She knew that was true; she had always stood on the sidelines watching her friends fighting to protect their loved ones, while all she did was to cheer them on…

…But still…

_I told you once, and I shall repeat it for the last time. You are like the Sun; stop comparing yourself to others. That is for the weak. You must realize that before you become nothing but a pathetic excuse of a human being._

She knew the reason behind those bitter words. Even though coldness had been used, Orihime was aware that the reason for that aloofness had to do with a hidden wish for her to become stronger. She had realized that as soon as she had stared at the person's eyes.

Yes because although she could be extremely clumsy, Orihime had managed to see that all the other person wanted was to see her getting stronger.

Reflexively, Orihime closed her hands into tight fists, and her eyes rapidly found the Last Quarter. She was going to become stronger…this time, although she could feel her friends' presence nearby, she was going to make things right.

This time, no one was going to stop her.

"Oi, you Inoue Orihime?"

At her name, the orange haired girl turned to her other side, and blinked when she came face-to-face with a tall and extremely large man, who was holding a huge rice ball on a hand. For a second, Orihime just stared at him before she decided to put her tray on the ground, and stand up.

"Yes, that's me."

"I am Lieutenant Marechiyo Yoshiayamenosuke Nikkōtarōemon Ōmaeda, from the second division." the _shinigami_ continued, but Orihime simply blinked at his arrogant pose and tone, "I am here to take you to our headquarters."

"O-Oh, okay." Orihime replied, not sure of what she was supposed to say, but before she could approach the door, two other _shinigami_ appeared next to the Lieutenant.

"You are to behave, or we shall use deadly force." Lieutenant Ōmaeda added before glancing at the _shinigami_ that was standing on his left, and nod. In silence, the other man opened the door of the cell only to walk in, and immediately grab Orihime's upper-arm. "Don't cause us any sort of trouble, girl."

As if she was stupid enough to run away when she had willingly appeared in Seireitei…

"Where are you taking me?" Orihime decided to ask as the second unknown _shinigami_ approached her, and grabbed her free arm, but Ōmaeda simply took a huge bit of his rice ball before waving his hand, silently indicating that they were to start moving.

When she left the building, Orihime glanced at the sky above, directly at the Last Quarter, and allowed herself to wonder if Ichigo was looking at the moon as well.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – Oh my, I really hope you're feeling better now. It really sucks to be sick (pats). As for the chapter…well, I thought it was only natural for everyone to want to go rescue Inoue instead of just having Ichigo screaming out for something to be done. I mean, after everything they went through, it would only be normal. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

_**chuchootrain**_ – I really like to think that at least some characters have noticed that something's going on between Ichigo and Orihime. They may not know what's going on, but they must have noticed that something changed. Especially ever since this last Arc has started. I hope I didn't let you down with this chapter!

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – Yep! We love Ichigo and Orihime precisely because they are Ichigo and Orihime. They are just two adorable characters that really need to notice how much they mean for each other, and just get together for the sake of all the fans (hehe). As for the chapter…what did you think of that small scene with Kenpachi?

_**Celestial Night**_– Yes, I know, something fishy is going on in Seireitei, but trust me, all shall be revealed in the future. As for how much Ichihime will be in this story…well, I wrote this story after the _Hueco Mundo Arc, _and beforethe _Winter War Arc_, which means there are more romantic hints than anything, hence why I was thinking about writing a sequel. I just hope no one minds. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_**Silvan Arrow**_– Kisuke is actually a very tricky character to write about, at least in my opinion, because he's devious as a fox. All of his actions have a meaning behind them, and that's kind of scary sometimes (hehe). But hey, if I'm doing an okay job, then I am relieved! Also, I hope you liked this chapter!

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – Well, I think it's safe to say that anarchy has reached Seireitei…again.

_**PaN-cHaN862005**_ – Yay! That's good to know!

_**Renji's Girll**_ – Well, I do think that Ishida cares for Orihime in his own, weird way. So, why not capture those moments as well?


	15. The Puzzle of Our Souls

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

100 reviews! I am _so_ happy! Thank you so much everyone, for bearing with me! I really, really hope I won't disappoint you as this story continues! I know things may become a tad confusing from now on, but I promise answers will come! Thank you everyone! You guys are awesome! However, above everything else, let me thank you for your constant support, because without it, I am not sure if this story would still be here!

Obrigada!! Thank you!!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_The Puzzle of Our Souls_

She did not look away not even when she felt three forms behind her. The emotionless mask on her face did not quiver, and her arms continued crossed against her chest as she observed the Last Quarter, which was now fading in the sky as the sun threatened to rise at the horizon.

Why did Urahara Kizuke always have to complicate even the simplest of all situations?

When the three forms reached her side, she finally tore her eyes away from the ashen moon to gaze at the newcomers. Even though she had yet to contact the real world, she could see what Urahara's plan was, and she truly could not help but feel annoyed by it.

Then, a childish laughter echoed through the training grounds as Hasu's dark orbs found a pair of light blue eyes.

"So, I heard you're in need of some help." a little blonde haired girl commented still laughing, but Hasu simply continued staring at her, "Would you like me to tell you what we're supposed to do?"

"I'd like for you to stop laughing." Hasu replied, in a blank tone, causing the girl to blink in shock. "I don't want anyone finding out about you, because that would mean I'd have to get rid of you."

"Oi, let's not fight among us." a tall man, who was wearing a gray top hat and a multi-coloured suit advised as he appeared in front of the little girl, his hands in the air. "We are here because we have to hel—mmph!"

Hasu silenced the man by slamming a hand against his mouth, her eyes narrowed in anger while the tall man was staring wide-eyed at her. For a long moment, they just stood on that position until the third newcomer decided to step forward.

"Do you know the meaning of 'shut up'?" Hasu inquired in a low tone, her words carrying a fragment of the irritation and impatience that she had managed to keep hidden until that moment. "I know what you are doing here, and I also know that I am allowed to get rid of you if you don't do things according to plan."

Swiftly, Hasu glanced at the third newcomer, and observed as his cheeks gradually turned pink. Before she could even try to understand his behaviour, he closed his pale aqua eyes before zipping his hood, concealing his face from the world.

Why was she always surrounded by bizarre people?

"You know where she is, so stop wasting time trying to be funny." Hasu proceeded when nothing was said, "And you better remember that I will be close by, so don't try to do something foolish or I will step forward, and trust me when I say you won't like it."

Without even blinking, Hasu pushed the man dressed in the multi-coloured jacket backwards before dropping her hand. After glancing at each others, the three newcomers nodded in silent agreement. Then, a wormhole appeared behind the three of them, and few seconds afterwards they were gone.

When she was finally all by herself, Hasu rested her right hand on the hilt of her sword. Then, as a cold wind blew from east, she turned to her side, and stared at what was behind of her before smirking.

"Took you long enough…Kurosaki Ichigo."

Unhurriedly, the orange haired boy emerged from behind the trees, his narrowed eyes locked with Hasu's. He looked angry…his energy allowed for Hasu to understand that he was ready to kill…and all because of one girl.

"Where is Inoue?"

"Now, why would I answer that question?" Hasu asked back, her hand still resting on the hilt of her sword although Ichigo's sword was still strapped to his back. She noticed the irritation growing on the boy's eyes, which only caused for her smirk to grow a tad wider.

"I won't ask you again; where is Inoue?" Ichigo repeated, and Hasu mentally sighed in tediousness. He really did not know when to take a hint, did he? "Where did you take her, you traitor?"

"I believe that's supposed to be an insult." Hasu mused, "A poor one, but an insult nonetheless. But still, I will ask you one last time; why on earth should I answer that question?"

"Tell me where she is!" Ichigo practically yelled, but Hasu did not even blink when the tip of the boy's sword unexpectedly appeared in front of her eyes. "Where the hell did you take her?"

"Careful Kurosaki, my patience has limits." Hasu warned, without looking away from Ichigo's roaring eyes. "I certainly do not enjoy being accused of things I did not do, nor do I enjoy when spoiled kids try to impose themselves by using weapons."

"Where is she?" Ichigo inquired, pausing at each word, but Hasu simply turned fully to him.

"I thought you weren't going to ask that again." she pointed out, her smirk still on her face since Ichigo reacted to those words by gritting his teeth in pure anger. "Still, I have a question for you, Kurosaki. Why do you care so much about that girl's wellbeing? You were, after all, the one who confessed not to know why you became friends with Inoue Orihime on the first place. When I inquired you about your relationship with Inoue, you simply said that you had been friends for a long time."

"What does that have to do with what's going on?" Ichigo asked through his teeth, and Hasu released her sword's hilt in order to fold her arms against her chest again. Then, one single word left her lips.

"Everything."

* * *

"I'm going to kill that idiot as soon as we find him!"

"Hum…Rukia, please, calm down." Renji requested as he raised both his hands towards the petite _shinigami_, but he sweatdropped when Rukia suddenly glared at him. "C'mon, what's the point in searching for him if you're going to kill him afterwards?"

"Don't talk to me!" Rukia snapped, and Renji gave one step backwards at her rage. "How could you lose him? All I asked was for you to stay together while I tried to do something! I should have known! Never ask men to do a woman's job!"

"What was I supposed to do when I was with you the entire time?" Renji inquired, but he started laughing nervously when Rukia glared at him again. Ishida and Sado, who had been observing them ever since they had arrived, glanced at one another.

"I honestly would like to believe Kurosaki would not do anything stupid enough to put us all in peril." Ishida started as he pushed his glasses up his nose, "But this is Kurosaki we're talking about."

"So, why did you let him go on the first place?" Rukia practically yelled as she turned to the last Quincy, arms crossed against her chest. "Men, I say! How is it possible for you to fail to do such a simple task?"

"Hmm, Kuchiki-san…" Sado started, a bit hesitantly, and Rukia was about to bark a 'what?' when she suddenly sensed a familiar presence. Instantaneously, she dropped her arms to her sides, and turned around, clenching her fists as she did.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called out, but she went silent when she noticed the look on the boy's face. He looked troubled, the female _shinigami_ quickly discerned, and his eyes revealed that he was too lost in his thoughts to even acknowledge the fact that they were standing in front of him.

"Oi, Ichigo, what the hell were you doing?" Renji asked, and before someone could stop him, he stepped in front of the substitute _shinigami_, and grabbed the front of his vest. "Do you know the trouble you caused?"

"Renji let him go!" Rukia ordered, and the man looked over his shoulder at her in confusion. Then, Renji obediently obeyed before gazing at Ichigo again, only to notice that the boy was still oblivious of what was going on. In fact, Ichigo was still staring at some random spot close to his feet.

"Kurosaki, what's wrong with you?" Ishida inquired as he walked closer to Ichigo, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Where did you go anyway? You know better than to be all hasty right now."

"What is Inoue…?"

"Huh? What are you mumbling about?" Ishida inquired when he heard those three words abandon Ichigo's lips, but the orange haired boy simply turned to his side, and started walking again. "Oi! Kurosaki!"

"I'll go talk to him." Sado announced, and before someone could stop him, the tall Mexican boy went after Ichigo.

"What on earth was that all about?" Renji asked as he scratched the side of his head, and Rukia narrowed her eyes as she continued staring at Ichigo's retreating back.

"I don't know, but something's going on around here." she replied, her index finger now resting against her chin as she pondered about what was going on. "And we need to figure this riddle out before it's too late."

* * *

It was not difficult for him to recall all the adventures he and his friends had went through until that moment. And even though all of those quests had been life-threatening, he was thankful for living all of them. Those journeys had helped his group of friends, as well as himself, not only to grow up, but also to become strong and wiser beings.

Their bonds had developed as well, and grown deeper as time rolled by.

And it was because of those gradual transformations that Sado could now look at Kurosaki Ichigo, and say without any doubt that something quite deep was troubling his friend.

"What's wrong?" Sado inquired, preferring not to go around the bush as he appeared next to Ichigo, who was now sitting on the grass, staring at the sky. Then, without asking for permission, the tall Mexican boy sat down as well, his eyes never leaving Ichigo's face.

"I saw Shinkai." Ichigo bluntly replied, his attention still focused on the now coloured sky, and Sado blinked in surprise though he said nothing. "I demanded for her to tell me where Inoue was, and she refused to tell me."

He knew that was probably half of the reason why Ichigo was behaving so strangely. However, Sado was not entirely sure if he wanted to go even deeper into that mystery because he was sure that Ichigo was doing his best to stay calm.

Whatever Hasu had told him had clearly affected him in many ways…

"And before I left she told me that this time things cannot be fixed through fights." Ichigo continued, and Sado snapped from his thoughts to gaze at his friend again. "Tsk, as if that's true. We _always_ end up fighting, and this time it won't be any different."

"Did she say anything else?" Sado questioned, in his deep and controlled tone, and for a second he could swear Ichigo had looked befuddled. "It seems like something's troubling you."

"It's nothing." Ichigo promptly said a bit too quickly, and Sado nodded on impulse before he gazed at the sky as well. When silence began to float around them, Ichigo let out a groan, and rested his hands on the ground, on his sides, for support.

"Damn it, I just wish I could understand what she meant." the substitute _shinigami_ confessed under his breath, but Sado simply glanced at him through the corner of his eyes. "She told me that I need to figure out why Inoue's my friend. As if that would help! Heck, that doesn't even make any sense!"

"Why…Inoue's your friend?" Sado repeated, and Ichigo gazed down for a second before nodding. Then, he turned his head so that the two of them were now looking at each other in the eye.

"She's behaving like a damn shrink! And the worst is that she doesn't make any sense whatsoever!" Ichigo finally burst, and he suddenly buried his head in his hands. "Ah! I just want to find Inoue, kick some ass, and take her back home!"

"Perhaps she was telling you that this time…" Sado paused for a second, trying to figure out what to say and Ichigo raised his head to look at him again. "Perhaps saving Inoue this time means we'll have to face different fights."

"You do realize that doesn't help at all, right?" Ichigo inquired before he could stop himself, and Sado reflexively nodded in silent agreement. As another sigh abandoned Ichigo's lips, the boy laid down on the grass behind him, his hands now clasped behind his head. "Damn, I just want her back…"

On that moment, after hearing those words, Yasutora Sado could not help but wonder if Ichigo was even aware of how that had sounded. However, since Sado was aware of how dense Ichigo could be sometimes, he decided to ignore that. Besides, all of them wanted to bring Inoue Orihime back.

All they had to do was to try to figure out what to do.

* * *

Another dark room…

For some reason, it seemed as if at the end it was all about her sitting in the middle of a silent and dark room, with only a window that allowed faint light to get in. Unconsciously, Orihime started twiddling her fingers, her hands resting on her lap while her eyes were locked with the tiny proportion of the sky that she could see through the small window in front of her.

She had been told that it would be foolish of her part to try to escape. Aside from the fact _shinigami_ were protecting that room from the outside, a spell had been used on the only exit of that room. Orihime had heard someone use 'Mirror Door', and after questioning the _shinigami_ about that spell Orihime had learn that 'Mirror Door' was used to create a glass-like barrier, which is extremely difficult to break from the outside.

After that explanation, Orihime decided that the _shinigami_ had most likely answered her, because people were testing her. After all, the _shinigami_ had told her that the spell was difficult to break from the outside not from the inside.

It was possible that those who were behind what was going on were aware of her powers, and of Tsubaki. They probably also knew that Tsubaki's her attack, and that she could use him to break the spell.

It was almost as if they were toying with her…tempting her to see if she was going to try to get away especially now that she knew her friends were there. But that was just plain bothersome, because although she was growing tired of staying still, waiting for someone to step away from the shadows, Orihime was determined to stay there.

She was going to do that right no matter what.

Abruptly, Orihime felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as a strange power emerged from behind her. Black and red blinded her for a second, forcing Orihime to close her eyes shut at same time she raised her right arm in front of her face. However, as quickly as the blinding lights had appeared, they were gone.

Gradually, Orihime dropped her arm at same time she timidly opened her eyes again. What on earth had just happened? She had not even sensed anything until those lights had appeared.

"Inoue Orihime?"

A gasp abandoned Orihime's lips at the familiar voice, and she instantaneously jumped off her chair, causing it to fall backwards, consequently creating an extremely loud noise. Ignoring what she had just caused, Orihime spun around on her heels, and her fingers quickly leaned against her lower lip as she stared at who was now standing in front of her.

"Yoruichi-san!"

That was completely irrational! Heck, it was impossible! There was no way Yoruichi Shihōin could be there, but at same time, it was achievable. Yoruichi was, after all, sneaky and silent as a cat, and she could have entered there in her cat form, in order to escape from any sort of suspicion.

"W-What are you doing here?"

"Listen, we don't have much time." Yoruichi started as she walked to Orihime's side, glancing around her for a second as she did. "I came here to tell you that Kisuke managed to contact Ukitake, and things aren't that good."

"H-How did you know I was here?" Orihime inquired, still bewildered about what was going on, but Yoruichi simply sent her a look that told her that it was time for her to stay quiet and listen.

"Details are irrelevant right now; what matters is that they have found out that Kurosaki and the others are here." the former second division Captain informed, and Orihime felt her heart skip a beat at those words. "There're only two things you can do; you can stay here, wait for your judgement, and watch as your friends are hunted down, and get hurt." Orihime let out a silent gasp, "Or you can try to run away from here, meet your friends, and convince them that it's better for them to return to the real world."

"I can't leave this place." Orihime immediately replied as she gave one step backwards, "If I leave, they will most likely think my friends managed to take me away, and that will only make things worse. I can't let anything happen to them."

"I'm sorry, Orihime, but it seems that things will go worse no matter what you decide to do." Yoruichi replied, and the orange haired girl felt her throat and mouth grow dry. "I can't stay here any longer. I will search for them if you can't."

Without saying any other word, Yoruichi turned around, and started approaching the door of the room. The sound of her footsteps echoed through the whole room, and Orihime closed her hands into fists as she stared at the back of Yoruichi's head.

The former head of the stealth forces was right, and she knew it. If everyone from Seireitei was already aware of her friends' presence, then it was pointless for her to simply stay in that room, hidden from the world. In Las Noches she had been incapable of helping them, but this time it was different.

There was no Ulquiorra there.

There was no Grimmjow there.

There was no Aizen.

There was only one spell and one door that Orihime knew she would be able to break if she tried. And perhaps, after she made sure her friends were alright, she would be able to return to that same room, and wait for her judgment.

"Yoruichi-san, wait!"

The said woman immediately stopped walking, but it was almost in slow motion that Yoruichi turned to her side. When their eyes met, Orihime dropped the hand she had unconsciously raised forward, her teeth chewing her lower lip in nervousness.

"I-I want to help!"

"Then, you know what you have to do." Yoruichi replied after a few seconds in silence, and she stepped backwards, revealing the only door of that room. In confusion, Orihime glanced at the door before gazing at Yoruichi again. "Blast that thing. You're not going to allow for one simple spell to stop you from helping your friends, are you?"

Silently, Orihime focused her attention on the door again, and swallowed hard as she stared at it. Many people, Tsubaki inclusively, kept telling her that she lacked killing intent, and that without it, her attack was both poor and feeble.

So, how did Yoruichi expect to see her blasting the door?

"Someone once said that 'love doesn't hide. It stays and fights. It goes the distance, that's why love is so strong. So it can carry you all the way home'." Yoruichi commented suddenly, almost as if she had heard Orihime's thoughts, and the orange haired girl glanced at her before nodding.

Hate was not the only thing she could use.

Slowly, Orihime raised her arms in front of her, and took a deep breath. Yoruichi was now standing on the side, watching as she prepared herself for what she was about to do. All Orihime hoped was that she was doing the right thing.

"Tsubaki!"

Immediately, Orihime's hairpin started glowing, and Tsubaki emerged, flying around Orihime once as the girl recalled the reasons why she was doing that. Her need to protect her friends took over her body straight away, and Orihime stared at the door with narrowed eyes.

"_Koten zanshun __kyozetsu suru__!"_

Instantaneously, Tsubaki started flying at full speed towards the door, and Orihime dropped her arms to her sides at same time she closed her hands into tight fists. That had to work! For her friends and for herself that had to work!

Yoruichi silently observed as Tsubaki zoomed past her, flying towards the door. When the fiery male spirit reached the door, two things happened at once; the sound of glass breaking echoed through the room before the door being blown into pieces almost made Orihime grow deaf at same time she covered her face with both her arms.

Coughing, Orihime dropped her arms to her sides again before widening her eyes when she noticed that Tsubaki had managed to break the spell and blow the door to pieces. However, when she was just about to cheer, Orihime widened her eyes in realization.

"Yoruichi-san!"

Nervously, Orihime started looking around, her heartbeat increasing dramatically as anxiety started consuming her veins. There was no Yoruichi there. It was almost as if the older woman had never been there on the first place.

Unless…

"Ah, Yoruichi-san!" Orihime called out as she raced towards the doorway, and once she was outside, she immediately started looking around. She had been taken to what could be resembled to a dojo, but she seriously did not know where it was located.

Feeling too worried to even try to come up with a plan, Orihime glanced to both her sides before turning to her right, and start running as fast as she could. She had to find Yoruichi! She had to find her friends!

She had to stop being such a weakling, and save them before they were forced to pay for her mistakes!

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – Well, I think that even Ichigo would feel bad when thinking about the possibility of Orihime forgetting all about him. I mean, he loves her! He just doesn't know it yet! Baka Ichigo.

_**Hefster**_ – Well, that's something that is going to take a little while to be answered, but still I hope you liked this chapter!

_**Yanaril**_ – It did? I didn't even think about "Eagle without Wings" when I wrote the chapter. It just came with the flow, and I thought it was really appropriate to write something like that. I'm so happy to know you liked it though! As for Kenpachi and Yachiru, how could I not add them?

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – Yes, I could picture Kenpachi following Ichigo around in my head as well. I just had to add him! He's hilarious! As for the Last Quarter; I thought it was appropriated, not to mention that I really like the moon, and I think that (like you said) if there was something that could somehow connect Ichigo and Orihime that would be the moon. As for scenes between Rukia and Renji, I promise, even if there aren't many in this story, there sure will be in the sequel. I promise!

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – (laughs) Yes, Ichigo left, but now you know what he wanted to do. I hope that didn't disappoint you. As for the character you mentioned, Lieutenant Marechiyo Yoshiayamenosuke Nikkōtarōemon Ōmaeda, he's the Lieutenant of the Second Division. He's the one who follows Soi Fon everywhere, and that's always eating.

_**Celestial Night**_ – Well, I am trying to keep in mind the way that Kubo gradually develops the relationship between Ichigo and Orihime. Besides, Ichigo has to realize things slowly because everyone knows he's too dense for his own good. As for the Ichihime hints, well, I couldn't just write all about romance because since I'm trying to follow the manga, it would be wrong to write about things that have yet to happen (or so we hope). And yes, I finally started writing the sequel! I am really excited about this! Fingers crossed, please!

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – I simply could not write their return to Seireitei without adding Kenpachi. It's just impossible! I hope you really enjoy the rest of the story, I'm aware it will probably become a tad confusing, but trust me when I say that all answers will be given sooner or later.

_**Major Hinata Fan**_– I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	16. Us in Unwritten Pages

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

I know things are getting a tad confusing, but I ask you to give it time. All the questions you have asked me will be answered as the story gradually approaches its end. If a question stays unanswered, then I will make sure you'll have your explanation in the sequel. Thank you everyone, for sticking with me until now and hopefully until the end! Oh, also, is there anyone who has asked me for Hasu's pictures, and hasn't received them? Yesterday _**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ contacted me saying that I hadn't sent the pictures, so…anyone?

* * *

**Chapter 15**

_Us in Unwritten Pages_

That place was abnormally calm. The sun had already risen at the horizon, and was now caressing the still chilly earth as snow continued glistering in the sidewalks and roofs. Life had already sprang from the darkness as people resumed to their routine, and even inside that small shop, chores had finally found a voice, and forced three forms to start working.

Tsukabishi Tessai, Hanakari Jinta and Tsumugiya Ururu were already cleaning the house and the shop while Urahara Kisuke was sitting in the living-room. Across from him, was Hisagi Shūhei, his arms crossed against his chest, while a thoughtful expression was on his face.

"She sure is late, neh?" Kisuke inquired as he started fanning himself, but Shuhei simply glanced at him before nodding. "I wonder if something happened…"

"She probably doesn't want to see my face so soon." Shuhei commented with a small shrug, and Kisuke blinked at his words as he continued fanning himself. "She really didn't like it when she found out that I went to pay Inoue Orihime a little visit."

"Oh? She cannot possible still be angry about that!" Kisuke started with a light laugh, but he quiet down when the door of the living-room was suddenly opened, only to reveal the person the two _shinigami_ had been talking about. "Oh, oh, oh, and here comes the lovely Shinkai Hasu."

"No, I'm not going to do you any sort of favour." Hasu stated as she stepped inside, closing the door swiftly and soundlessly behind her. Kisuke gasped at her words before pushing his hat down, so that his eyes were shadowed.

"Oh dear, who said anything about me wanting to ask you to do something for me?" he inquired as Hasu sat down, on her legs before crossing her arms against her chest. "You really need to learn how to take a flattering remark."

"Why did you ask me to come here?" Hasu decided to ask, before glancing at Shuhei by the corner of her eyes, and Kisuke took the opportunity to open his fan again. "This better be important."

"Oh, look at the time, I promised Yoruichi-san I would buy her some milk." Kisuke quickly started, earning exasperated looks from the two _shinigami_ that were sitting across from him, and he started laughing. "Please, give me twenty minutes, and I shall be back before you know it. I simply do not wish to see Yoruichi-san saying that I don't pay attention to her needs."

And before Shuhei or Hasu could say something, Kisuke was gone.

As she tried her best to control herself, Hasu run her fingers through her forehead as she allowed for her hair to conceal half of her face. Shuhei let out a sigh, his arms still crossed against his chest until he decided to focus his attention on the female _shinigami_ next to him.

"I'm starting to think this was a setup."

"You think?" Hasu practically roared, though in a low tone, and Shuhei chuckled at her behaviour. "I'm not going to stay here, and stare at the walls. I have better things to do. Apologize to Urahara-san for me."

"Missing him already?" at those words, Hasu, who had already stood up from the floor, froze, her back turned to Shuhei. "Don't tell me you didn't inform him that you were coming here."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Hasu hissed as she turned to her side in order to stare at Shuhei right in the eye, but the Lieutenant simply chuckled at her tone.

"Until now I'm still not sure about which one you like; you're really too damn good when it comes to hide your feelings, but you're not perfect." Shuhei explained, and Hasu gradually turned fully to him, her expression hardening as she waited for him to continue. "At the beginning I thought you were into Captain Hitsugaya, but eventually I debated it with Renji and Ikkaku, and we thought that he couldn't be the one."

"You seriously must have no life if you spend your time debating about other peoples' love lives." Hasu commented, and Shuhei smirked at her almost as if he had expecting her to say those exact same words.

"Ah, we were just spending some time together, and I had already teased Renji about Kuchiki-san, so we had to find a new, fresh topic." Shuhei replied, the smirk still on his face, but Hasu simply continued staring blankly at him. "And then, we came up with the idea that perhaps you have a thing for Captain Ukitake."

"Bunch of idiots," Hasu hissed under her breath, but when Shuhei chuckled, she stared at him right in the eye. "What is it?"

"We may be a bunch of idiots, but you still love us." he replied, and Hasu rolled her eyes at his teasing tone. "Or at least I like to think you love me. You do love me, right?"

"I must have been out of my mind when I decided to befriend you." Hasu confessed in a low tone, and Shuhei leisurely stood up from the floor. "You ought to find a life."

"Now, why would I do that when I have so much fun teasing you?" the male _shinigami_ inquired as he approached Hasu, his arms still crossed against his chest, and once again Hasu rolled her eyes. "But now, c'mon, which one of them do you like?"

"I would tell you to drop dead, but that would be an understatement." Hasu stated, but Shuhei simply chuckled once again at her reply as he now stood in front of her. "I'm going."

"Aw c'mon, you can't just leave me here, all by myself." Shuhei said as he reached out, and grabbed Hasu's wrist right when she was about to turn around, ready to leave. "What if Urahara-san has something important to tell us?"

"Let go of me." Hasu warned as she stared at Shuhei, clearly ignoring his words, but the Lieutenant simply shook his head. One way or another, they would always find a way to get to each other's throats, and it sure had been a while since they had done that. So, since he knew Hasu was not going to try to fight him since she was aware that he was indeed a Lieutenant, Shuhei saw no point in letting her go.

"Aw c'mon Hasu, I just want to know which one is it." Shuhei declared as he continued holding the female _shinigami_'s wrist, knowing fully well that he was pushing it, "Who is it? Captain Hitsugaya or Captain Ukitake? I can give you a hand with either of them."

"You are aware that you are pushing it, and yet you keep going." Hasu pointed out, still staring at him with a blank expression on her face. "My love life doesn't concern you, so stop trying to butt in. If you don't, I will forget who you are, and I will cross blades with you."

"Spoken like a true member of the Eleventh division, but still, it's not enough to scare me," Shuhei remarked, smirking when he heard Hasu exhale noisily. "Just tell me his name, and I swear I'll stop."

"What makes you think I like one of those Captains? Hell, why do you even want to know?" Hasu inquired, and for a short period of time, the two _shinigami_ just stared at each other. "You never revealed any interest in that sort of thing, which is understandable since you're too busy drooling over Matsumoto to care about anything else. As for me, as the 4th seat of the Eleventh division, I have no time for such foolishness."

"Matsumoto…what?" Shuhei asked in bewilderment, but that second of confusion was enough for Hasu to get free from his grip, and turn her back to him again. "Hey, wait a minute! I don't drool over Matsumoto every time I see her."

"You're right; you just behave like a sick puppy every time she's around." Hasu corrected still without looking at him. "Just stop bugging me, Hisagi, or I will forget the difference in our ranks."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Shuhei blurred out right when Hasu rested a hand on the doorknob, and once again he reached out to touch her. This time, however, Hasu was faster, and she moved to her side in order to avoid any direct contact. "Why are you angry?"

"Because I never thought the Lieutenant of the 9th division could be so stupid." Hasu replied before glancing over her shoulder, and Shuhei blinked when their eyes met. "You above everybody else should know that I respect and admire Captain Hitsugaya, just like you should know that I esteem Captain Ukitake because of the way he lives even though he's ill."

"Oi, wait a minute, I was just teasing you." Shuhei started, but he trailed off when he noticed the way Hasu was glaring at him. Strangely, he could not recall a time when she had looked at him the way she was doing right now; it was a mix of anger with disappointment…of exhaustion and gloom…

"You were always an idiot, and now you just proven how stupid you are." Hasu declared, her hand still resting on the doorknob. "But if you really want to know, I'm sure the name Muguruma Kensei rings a bell."

At same time Shuhei widened his eyes in both surprise and shock, Hasu focused her attention on the door as she opened it. Then, without saying any other word, she walked away.

Shuhei was not sure how long it passed ever between the moment when Hasu had walked out of the living-room and the second when he had been forced to leave his daze due to Kisuke's return. The owner of the Urahara Shop looked around as soon as he walked inside, noticing that they were one member short.

"Say, where's Shinkai-san?"

However, that question went unnoticed by Shuhei, who was still staring at the door of the living-room, the same words echoing through his mind over and over again.

_Muguruma Kensei…_

* * *

Things had been extremely quiet until that moment for all souls had finally succumbed to fatigue, and ended up falling asleep. Ishida, Sado and Ichigo had ended up falling victims of slumber in the middle of the hallway where they had spent their time trying to come up with a plan. Renji and Rukia, on the other hand, were sleeping in one of the living-rooms, after finally contacting Tōshirō, and inform him about what was going on.

However, everything changed when a familiar presence started caressing their dreams, mutely forcing every member of the group to stir and open his or her eyes. As soon as their senses woken up, all of them immediately got to their feet, nervousness growing steadily as the group gathered outside the dojo.

"That's…"

"Inoue," Rukia finished Ichigo's sentence before looking away from the orange haired boy in order to gaze at Renji, who was standing next to her. "We can't wait any longer. Captain Hitsugaya said he was going to return, but we can't wait."

"Yes, I understand." Renji agreed with a short nod, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword, and then he focused his attention on Ishida and Sado. "We are going to split up into two groups. Don't get into any sort of fight, and Ichigo make sure you don't encounter Captain Zaraki."

"Let's stop chatting, and let's go." Ichigo replied, behaving as if he had not heard a word, and both Rukia and Renji shared one look.

"Renji, you stay with Ishida." Rukia commanded, and the tall _shinigami_ nodded in silent agreement while Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose in thought. "We shall get together as soon as we find Inoue, and please, don't do anything stupid."

"I'll make sure he doesn't." Ishida spoke up before Renji could say a word, and since there was no need to say anything else, the group split up.

"Ichigo, I don't want you to do anything foolish." Rukia started as she kept her pace, her eyes locked with the boy that was running next to her. "If someone appears in our way, don't try to fight your way through."

"Whatever, I just want to find Inoue." Ichigo replied, without looking away from the path ahead, and Rukia narrowed her eyes slightly at his tone. Not even when they had went to Las Noches had Ichigo looked so desperate to save Orihime, and thus she could not help but wonder if something had happened that had lead to that sense of urgency.

Sado, on the other hand, simply stared at the back of Ichigo's head. He could only hope that Ichigo would soon notice how he was behaving, because it seriously looked like it was something deeper and stronger than anything that Ichigo had ever bothered to think of.

Suddenly there was an explosion, a little further away from where they were, which caused the three friends to immediately stop running as they stared in confusion at the dust cloud. The strangest part, however, was that there was no one around them.

"Something's wrong." Rukia mumbled as she looked around, "I think it's safe to say we're all alone in here, which makes no sense whatsoever. Where are the guards? Where are the other _shinigami_?"

"Who cares about that? Let's just go!" Ichigo exclaimed before taking off in direction of the explosion, and Rukia and Sado only had time to share a look before dashing after him.

It did not take long for the three friends to reach the place from where the explosion had occurred, and all of them glanced around when they noticed the smashed walls and damaged ground. Dust was still settling down, but since the worst had already been blown away by the wind, it was easy for the group to gaze around, and notice something…

…There was nothing there.

"What the hell…?" Ichigo cursed as he gave a few steps forward at same time he moved his head, in an attempt to try to figure out what had happened there. "Where on earth is she?"

"_Santen Kesshun!"_

"Why do you humans always have to complicate things?" a male and familiar voice inquired unexpectedly, and both Ichigo and Rukia widened their eyes in shock while Sado froze. "Do you really think a weedy defensive shield is enough to stop me? Must take note that you are not as intelligent as I thought you were."

"That's…"

"Captain Kurotsuchi." Rukia finished in a whisper, but those two words were enough for the three friends to rush in direction of the well-known voices. The first voice belonged to Orihime; there was no doubt in that, but none of them could rest since they were now aware that Kurotsuchi Mayuri was with her.

Thankfully it did not take long for the group to reach the spot where Orihime and Kurotsuchi were. As soon as they stopped their tracks, the three of them watched as Kurotsuchi pulled his ear out of his head, consequently pulling out a scythe, which was attached to a rope-like ligament so that the weapon could be used like a kusarigama.

Orihime, on the other hand, was so focused in keeping her shield up, and never tearing her eyes away from the Captain of the 12th division, that she had failed to notice the newcomers. That changed, however, when Ichigo have one step forward, gritting his teeth in anger.

"Inoue!"

Unfortunately, that single word was enough to change the current situation. Feeling both shocked and surprised, Orihime looked away from Mayuri to gaze at the person that had shouted her name, while the Captain of the 12th division devilishly smirked.

"Hado 88!" Mayuri said all of a sudden, and Rukia widened her eyes in horror, "_Hryūgekizokushintenraihō!"_

Abruptly, a massive blast of spiritual energy was thrown towards Orihime, with the form of a laser, and Ichigo immediately grasped the hilt of his sword. Before Rukia could even process what was going on, she watched as Ichigo disappeared from beside her.

"_Getsuga Tenshō_!"

"Ichigo!"

"Inoue!"

"My, my, don't people know it's rude when they stick their noses in matters that do not concern them?" Mayuri inquired as he stared at the massive cloud of smoke that had emerged when an energy blast had met his own _kidō_. "Someone should teach that boy some manners."

Bit by bit the cloud of smoke that had resulted from the encounter of the two blasts cleared up, and both Rukia and Sado felt their muscles tense up at the sight in front of them. Ichigo was standing in front of Orihime, who had fallen onto the ground due to the brutality of the blast. Her shield had most likely been crushed under the power that the two _shinigami_ in front of her held inside of them, but it looked as if she was not even aware of what was going on.

Her eyes were solely locked with the back of Kurosaki Ichigo, as he stood in front of her, like a powerful redeemer, holding his _zanpakutō _with a deadly expression on his face.

"Ku-Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime stuttered, her voice quivering a little bit as she continued sitting on the ground, her eyes widened in astonishment. Almost immediately, Ichigo looked over his shoulder, and stared back at her, causing Orihime's heart to skip a beat.

"Are you alright, Inoue?"

Heavens, that was so frightening familiar…

"…Yes…" Orihime finally whispered before resting both her hands on the floor, and she unsteadily stood up from the ground. "Thank you…"

"Inoue, everything will be fine now." Ichigo reassured, his eyes never leaving Orihime's, "I am going to finish this in no time."

"Don't be an idiot, Ichigo!" Rukia shouted as she rushed towards the orange haired boy's side, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of her face, and Sado silently followed her. "You cannot fight against Captain Kurotsuchi! That's not what we agreed to do!"

"I'm sorry Rukia, but I can't let him go after what he just tried to do." Ichigo replied, but instead of gazing at the female _shinigami_, he looked directly at Mayuri. "I will never forgive him for what he tried to do to Inoue."

"No, that's insane!" Rukia disagreed, looking more and more aggravated, "We should try to leave while we can! It's insane to try to fight a Captain right now."

"My, my, Kuchiki Rukia trying to escape from a battle. Who would have thought?" Mayuri commented all of a sudden, and everyone gazed at him. "Still, I do not think I'm going to allow you to run away. I've been fascinated by that girl for quite some time, and ever since I've realized that even the enemy showed some interest in her, all I've ever thought about was to find her in order to take her to my laboratory."

"You sick bastard!"

"Kurosaki!" a voice shouted from far, and everyone saw Ishida and Renji running towards them as fast as they could. Mayuri, when he noticed that the group in front of him was gradually growing, sighed in annoyance.

"I've always wondered about how the human species may increase so much in such short period of time, but now I'm beginning to think you're a nuisance." he stated, though he was clearly talking to himself though he had not lowered the tone of his voice. "Has Man finally figured out a way to spring from the ground, I wonder…"

"What's going on?" Renji inquired as soon as he reached Rukia's side, and he then glanced at the Captain of the 12th division. "What is Captain Kurotsuchi doing here?"

"He wants to take Inoue with him." Sado quickly explained before someone could even come up with something to say, and both Renji and Ishida instantaneously widened their eyes in horror.

"The hell he is!" Ichigo spat after hearing Sado's words, and he locked eyes with Mayuri again as he moved his sword so that it was now in front of his legs. "No one is taking Inoue anywhere except home!"

"Wait! Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, but it was already too late. Before someone could understand what was going on, Ichigo disappeared from sight only to reappear again, this time in front of the Captain of the 12th division, who widened his eyes in surprise.

Suddenly, a blade appeared from out of nowhere, blocking Ichigo's, which was now inches away from Mayuri's face. A pair of roaring navy blue eyes met Ichigo's, causing the orange haired boy to jump backwards in both disbelief and shock.

"What the…?" Renji mumbled in surprise as he watched a familiar face stand up in front of Mayuri, holding a _zanpakutō_ with both hands. Ichigo, who until that moment was too flabbergasted to say anything, slowly lowered his _zanpakutō_ a little bit.

"Shinkai…"

"If you want to fight, then I'll be your adversary," the female _shinigami_ started, her narrowed eyes never leaving the boy's blazing orbs, "Kurosaki Ichigo."

**To Be Continued…**

_**Hefster**_ – It's curious that you mentioned the Vizards, and Muguruma Kensei was mentioned in this chapter. And hey, for what purpose would I have added the three modsouls if it wasn't to complicate everything?

_**PomegranateQueen**_ – Yes, Orihime's scene was rather confusing wasn't it? She appears to have failed either way. Hmm…I wonder what's going to happen next… As for Sado and Ichigo's scene, well, I couldn't help it. I do think that they understand each other albeit Sado is more quiet and reserved. Besides, I think it was more appropriated for Sado to be the one who would hear Ichigo confessing both his fears and wishes, even without noticing. I hope you liked this chapter.

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – (laughs) Trust me when I say that action scenes are one of the things I would prefer never to write about. I simply never know what to write or how to write it for that matter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_**Yanaril**_ – Want to know something? I really, really love your theories! And I'm happy to know you like the fast updates! Ah, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – As for Orihime's attack, that was not invented; she uses it in both manga and anime. I simply used the Japanese way of saying it, but it's the attack she uses against Yammy (episode 113), and that ends up with Tsubaki being crushed. As for the "Damn…I just want her back", I simply couldn't help it. I simply pictured that moment in my mind, and found myself typing it down seconds later. It's great to know that you (along with everybody else) enjoyed that sentence.

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – Well, if Ichigo wasn't dense, he wouldn't be our cute strawberry now, would he? As for the strangers, I can tell you straight away that you have to wait to find out if they are original characters or not (don't you just love that?). I apologize for taking so long to send you the pictures, and as an answer to your question, no, I didn't draw them. I found them in the internet, and immediately thought they represented Hasu very well. I am glad to know you liked them!

_**quivering quill**_ – Aww, I know, I wish this could be longer too, but unfortunately it is not. But if you're interested there's always the sequel (smiles).

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – (laughs) Ichigo couldn't realize the real meaning of "Damn…I just want her back" because that's exactly how he is; terribly dense yet too cute for his own good. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, but let me say I am quite happy to know you enjoyed the scene between Orihime and Yoruichi.

_**Major Hinata Fan**_ – Yes, I know, Nova is too damn cute for his own good. He's my favourite out of the three. And hey, you found out about what's been going on? Shame! You were supposed to wait until the end to figure the riddle out (laughs). Oh well, I hope you still enjoy this despite of everything. As for the scene with Kenpachi, I thought it was appropriated. As for Yachiru, I really can't wait until we see her real power; it will probably be awesome!

_**PaN-cHaN862005**_ – Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!


	17. The Essence of Blades

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

To be quite honest I was a bit reluctant about posting this chapter. Most of you seem really eager about seeing a real, well-written fight, but to be honest that's a skill I don't have. I apologize if this chapter doesn't match your expectations. I promise I'll try to do better next time (bows).

* * *

**Chapter 16**

_The Essence of Blades_

For a long period of time nothing was said as everyone stared at both Ichigo and Hasu. The tension was growing up so quickly that it was almost palpable while anxiety was gradually springing from the ground. No matter how hard they tried, no one was succeeding in coming up with a plan although everyone knew they had to stop Ichigo from fighting Hasu no matter what. The success of their mission depended on how rapidly they could return to the real world, with Orihime.

"Funny, if I remember correctly, you were the one who said that this time we wouldn't be able to resolve this through fights." Ichigo remarked, holding his sword in front of his slightly parted legs. "And yet you came here to fight me."

"Perhaps your hearing isn't as good as I thought it was," Hasu started, her eyes never leaving Ichigo's. "I said that if you want to fight, then I'll be your adversary. The result of this situation depends of you."

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"If fighting you means me being able to take Inoue back home," Ichigo started, ignoring the way Orihime had uttered his name, "then yes, I am going to face you and win this. Get ready!"

"Wait, Ichigo!"

Unexpectedly, Hasu focused her eyes on Ishida and Sado, and raised a hand in front of her face.

"_Sai!"_

"W-What…?"

"That's a binding spell!" Rukia exclaimed when she heard Ishida stutter, and she jumped far from the Quincy and Sado along with Renji. "Damn it! What on earth is she trying to do?"

"Hado 1!" Hasu exclaimed as she locked her eyes with Rukia, "_Shō!"_

"Kuchiki-san! Renji-kun!" Orihime shouted as she watched the two _shinigami_ being pushed away by an invisible force. Hasu, noticing the girl's lack of attention, narrowed her eyes as she focused her attention on the orange haired girl.

"Inoue Orihime," she called out, silently noticing how Ichigo was still standing in front of the girl, almost as if he was unconsciously protecting her, "Are you ready to give your life for your friends?"

At that question, Orihime widened her eyes in shock.

"Don't you dare to talk to her!"

Before someone could stop him, Ichigo let out a war cry, and jumped in Hasu's direction. When she noticed that he was indeed going to attack her, Hasu horizontally raised her sword in front of her face so that it was resting just below her eyes.

"Whisper, _Rakugosha!_"

Ichigo jumped to his side at the order, and silently watched as a bright light flashed from the spot where Hasu was standing. It was with a serious look on his face that Ichigo watched as the dust started to settle down until something flashing under the sunlight caught his attention.

"Now, we can fight." Hasu said as she finally reappeared, and Ichigo took in the new form of her _zanpakutō_. It was long, resembling to a Bo, with two blades separated by the hilt, which was located right in the middle. Both blades were asymmetrical, and sharp at the end.

If there was only one blade, Ichigo would think that Hasu was holding a _keris_.

"Never thought you were one who likes to show off," Ichigo commented as he locked eyes with Hasu, but the female _shinigami_ did not even blink. Gently, Ichigo prepared himself to attack. "Let's end this."

"Say, Ichigo beat Ikkaku, didn't he?" Renji inquired as he glanced at Rukia through the corner of his eyes, but the female _shinigami_ ignored him as she observed Ichigo attacking Hasu head on.

* * *

_You were always an idiot, and now you just proven how stupid you can be. But if you really want to know, I'm sure the name Muguruma Kensei rings a bell._

Muguruma Kensei.

Of course that name rang a bell, how could it not? He would forever have something connected to that name printed on his face. However, the truth was that no matter how hard he tried to find the reason why Hasu had mentioned that name, he simply found no association.

It was true, Hasu had been with him on the day Kensei had saved him, but aside from that there was nothing that could have a meaning to the female _shinigami_. After all, he had been the one to be saved, not Hasu.

With a sigh, Shuhei crossed his arms against his chest, a frown on his face. To be frank, although most of the time he loved to tease Hasu, there were moments when he hated the way she spoke in riddles. Ikkaku was usually the one who had to deal with her strange way of letting others know what she thought, mostly because they were team mates, and got a long quite well, while he…

Why on earth had Hasu mentioned Captain Muguruma when they had been talking about her possible feelings towards or Captain Hitsugaya or Captain Ukitake? It simply made no sense whatsoever!

And then there was the moment when Hasu had mentioned Rangiku! The more Shuhei thought about that conversation, the more confused he got, and he absolutely detested when that happened!

"Damn it." Shuhei cursed under his breath as he continued walking through the deserted streets of Seireitei. "Why do women always feel the need to be complicated?"

"Oh, Hisagi Shuhei ishaving problems with women? Who would have thought?"

"Matsumoto?" Shuhei inquired as he raised his head forward in suspicion, and he quickly turned around on his heels. Behind him, looking quite devious was Matsumoto Rangiku, while Hitsugaya Toshiro stood beside his Lieutenant, with a sombre expression on his face. "Captain Hitsugaya!"

"So, did someone finally managed to capture the heart of our beloved playboy?" Rangiku inquired in a strange sugary tone, and despite of everything Shuhei felt blood rushing up to his cheeks as the female _shinigami_ appeared in front of him. "You have to tell me who she is, because I never saw you so worked up over a girl."

"Matsumoto…" Toshiro growled as his right eyebrow started twitching in annoyance, and the Lieutenant instantaneously turned to him before laughing lightly.

"Aw, c'mon, Captain, isn't it cute to see Shuhei so nervous because of a girl?" she asked, but when Toshiro swiftly glared at her, she let out a squeal, and started laughing nervously. "Sorry, sorry, you're right."

"We cannot afford to lose more time; if something goes wrong now, we'll all be in trouble." Toshiro explained before gazing at Shuhei, "You were supposed to talk to Shinkai, and yet you let her go. If something goes wrong, I shall hold you responsible."

Suddenly, two strong waves of two familiar reiatsus caught the three _shinigami_ attention, and all of them widened their eyes in surprise. Then, they stared behind their shoulders, and Toshiro tsk'ed in irritation.

"Do you think they have found Orihime?" Rangiku inquired, but only Shuhei glanced her way for Toshiro was too occupied staring in the same direction from where he had sensed the reiatsus.

"Let's go." the Captain ordered in his controlled tone, and both Rangiku and Shuhei nodded.

* * *

Things were definitely not going well. Every time someone tried to move closer, Hasu would find a way to push them away, and if she did not, then Ichigo would practically roar that no one was to get closer.

That was his fight.

That was his chance to save Inoue.

That was his chance to ask for forgiveness and to try to amend things.

And by heavens he was going to do it single-handedly.

"Ahhh!"

"Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime whispered as she watched Ichigo trying to hit Hasu with all of his power while the female _shinigami_ continued blocking his attacks by using her own sword.

Ever since that battle had started, that it seemed as if Ichigo and Hasu were waltzing. That fight had nothing to do with the one that had occurred between Ichigo and Grimmjow; when Ichigo had been facing Sixth Espada, it had looked as if Ichigo wanted to prove something…it had looked as if Ichigo wanted to show Grimmjow that he could and that he would save his friends no matter what.

But this time it looked as if he was trying to prove something else. It seemed that this time Ichigo was trying to prove something not to other people, but to himself.

And that scared her in a way.

Without blinking, Ichigo jumped backwards, and tried to slit Hasu's arm only to hear metal kissing metal. That was beginning to enrage him; both of them were already carrying some minor wounds, but it looked as if nothing else was going to come out from that fight.

And then there was what Hasu had told Orihime…

_Are you ready to give your life for your friends?_

Ichigo did not know what Hasu had meant with that, but he surely was not going to allow her to get any closer to Orihime. That was his opportunity to protect her, and make sure that she was going to be able to return to the real world.

With another war cry, Ichigo attacked Hasu head on, trying to strike her with his sword. Occasionally both of them would kick or try to punch one another without much success. For a long time the two remained locked in a deadly melee, exchanging strikes at amazing speeds, and forcing those who were watching them to believe that they were witnessing in a mortal tango until Hasu broke the dead-lock by leaping backwards.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, regardless of all the rumours I have heard concerning your person, I expected more of you." Hasu started as she stood with her sword raised in front of her chest, in diagonal. Ichigo took the chance to also jump backwards a little bit, his sword also ready to defend him. "I heard you have the habit of pouring all of your feelings into fights, but this is ridiculous."

"Geez, don't tell me you're one of those who likes to analyze every step they give in a fight." Ichigo retorted sarcastically, but Hasu did not reply. Instead, she raised her weapon in front of her eyes, so that the hilt was inches away from her nose.

"I see you do not understand the full power of _Rakugosha._" the female _shinigami_ proceeded, ignoring Ichigo's mocking. "Haven't you heard, Kurosaki? _Rakugosha_, the keris, is both a weapon, and a spiritual object, often considered to have an essence or presence."

"A lesson of history in the middle of a fight?" Ichigo inquired, before smirking, "You must be really tired."

"Shut up, Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed from far, but Hasu kept her eyes locked with the substitute _shinigami_'s form.

"While some blades possessed good luck," Hasu continued, still holding her weapon in front of her face, "others possessed bad luck. When I saw that this was the shape of my _zanpakutō, _I decided to find out which luck did my weapon possess."

Slowly, Hasu started twirling her weapon around, in front of her face, her eyes never leaving Ichigo's. Then, without even blinking, Hasu moved her arm behind her back, and stopped her movements so that her sword was behind her, in a diagonal position.

"The blade that you see at the front," Hasu continued, still without looking away from Ichigo, although the boy did glance at the said blade, "carries bad luck, while the one at the end was blessed with good luck. I'm sure you don't need to be a genius to figure out which blade I use when I face my enemies."

"Tsk, I don't believe in bad luck." Ichigo replied, a knowing smirk on his face, and Hasu lowered her arm a little so that her weapon was now resting next to her leg, "So, what if we stop this chat, and finish this?"

"You need more discipline, for your lack of patience is beginning to irritate me." Hasu remarked, so abruptly that Ichigo blinked at her observation. "You say you don't believe in bad luck? Then think of all those fights you had so far, you managed to survive to some of them only because of luck, did you not?"

"What the hell is she trying to do?" Renji inquired as he moved to Sado's side while Rukia approached Ishida, and helped them to get rid of the binding spell that had locked their arms in place behind their backs. "Is she trying to buy more time or something?"

Rukia did not reply, as she continued staring at the 4th seat of the 11th division.

"I told you that no one was going to take Inoue Orihime away from here, did I not?" Hasu inquired, and Ichigo increased his grip on the hilt of his sword. Unpredictably, Hasu glanced at the orange haired girl, "And now you shall understand why. It's time for you to chose, Inoue Orihime."

When their eyes met, Orihime felt her heart skip a painful beat, and she reflexively clasped her hands in front of her chest.

"What the…?"

"_Shinkai!"_

Before Ichigo could process what was going on, Hasu unexpectedly appeared in front of his face, her sword still next to her. As he moved his head backwards, Ichigo raised his sword in front of his neck, succeeding in stopping Hasu from trying to kill him. However, Ichigo widened his eyes in horror when Hasu smirked at him, and suddenly changed her sword from her right hand to her left one.

"Whisper," Hasu whispered, and Ichigo looked to his side in time to see the _shinigami_'s weapon come down towards his head, "_Rakugosha!_"

Out of the blue, something black flew past Ichigo's head and the substitute _shinigami_ only had time to see something golden appear in front of him, and then there was a blast.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_**copperheadfightingninja**_ – (laughs) To be honest, Mayuri did use to freak me out at the beginning because he is a sadist, and his sick mind is just…(shivers). Yet, I just couldn't help it, and ended up adding him to the story. I thought he was the perfect character for that moment, and now that I know that practically everyone liked it, I am quite happy for choosing him. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you that much. Thank you for everything.

_**sAppHiRa-hiMe**_ – I actually started liking Kensei after reading _Turn Back the Pendulum_, I just loved all those chapters, and I can't wait until they show up in the anime. You shall know why I chose him of all Vizards in the future. I hope you liked this chapter, although it didn't have much action in it.

_**Hefster**_ – The fight wasn't that delicious…right? Gomen nasai.

_**chuchootrain**_ – Well, Ichigo protecting Orihime is a scene that I absolutely love to watch, especially because most of the times he does it without even noticing it, so I just had to add one XD

_**KnighteWolfe**_ – Yes, I know Ishida's behaviour can be a tad annoying sometimes, but I like his character. Besides, I think that if I changed his way of thinking, he'd become out of character so… Anyway, thank you for reading this story.

_**xNocturnalxShadowx**_ – I agree with you! Mayuri is a sadistic bastard, who used to make me cringe every time he opened his mouth, but now I like him as well. Go figure. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

_**Bankai Betty**_ – I like to think that Orihime wouldn't be Orihime if she forgot about who she is, even when she's among the _shinigami_. I wanted to keep present that she's still a girl, who doubts her power, and who is never sure about what to do when it comes to her friends' wellbeing. However, I am glad you are enjoying her behaviour in this story. Thank you.

_**Silvan Arrow**_ – It seems that everyone was wishing for Ichigo to beat the crap out of Mayuri, but instead he faced Hasu. I hope the fight wasn't too bad. If you have any more doubts, feel free to ask.

_**Figs**_ – (blushes) I am happy to know you're enjoying the story so far. I am trying my best to keep the characters…well, in character. Some of them are a bit tricky, but a good challenge is always welcomed. Oh, and I'm glad you're enjoying the pace as well. Thank you so much for reading this story, and I hope I won't disappoint you.

_**Celestial Night**_ – First of all, don't apologize; I understand that sometimes we simply cannot do what we enjoy because of other chores. Besides, I am updating a bit too quickly, so…don't worry. As for the Shuhei/Hasu relationship, you will learn more about it in the sequel. Regardless of how this story may end, wait for the sequel; after all, who knows what may happen then? As for Mayuri…I thought that he was the best character to show up at that moment, and that his interest in Orihime was the best reason to use to explain his sudden appearance. Like you said; Aizen was not the only one to notice her skill. As for Nemu…there is a reason to why she didn't show up, which will be revealed in the next chapter. As for the fight…I let you down, didn't I? I really, really suck at fighting scenes…I'm sorry.


	18. Finding Us in Me

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ belongs to **Tite Kubo**. So, basically, aside from the plot and the unknown characters, nothing is mine.

* * *

I think most of you will want to kill me after this announcement, but hum…well; the thing is that this is the _**last**_ chapter. Yes, you read it correctly; this is the last chapter of _Handprint in my Heart._ Please, don't hunt me down! I know this is rather sudden, but I think the ending isn't that bad. I really hope you'll think the same when you finish reading this_. _

Also, may I remind you that the sequel is currently being written, and it shall be posted really soon. I'm thinking about posting the first chapter on November 1st, in case you're interested in a date. The name of the sequel is _Lisianthus Hibiscus_, and since I'm aware there weren't many Renji x Rukia romantic hints in this story, I tried to add a lot of those in the sequel. However, the main pairing will be Ichigo x Orihime.

Anyway, I really want to thank everyone for the support you gave me until now. I am sorry if I disappointed you at some point, I promise I'll try not to in the future. Thank you so much for your constant support; it did help me a lot.

And here is; the last chapter of _Handprint in my Heart_.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

_Finding Us in Me_

The rainbow that had been painted on the sky by the fading sunrays was now offering a golden shade to the walls. For a moment, that room did not look as dark and as empty as it had before. It did not look as scary either, and for that she was thankful.

After everything she had been forced to watch, she had found herself desiring for a place where she could finally allow her heart to return to its usual rhythm. The only thing that she did not enjoy was the fact that she was once again all by herself.

"Err…hum…excuse me…"

In confusion, Orihime looked over her shoulder, and blinked when her eyes meet a familiar form. For a second she just stood on the same spot, on the floor, sitting on her legs, until her mind finally abandoned the turmoil of thoughts that had been haunting her.

"Hanatarō-kun!" Orihime exclaimed as she got up to her feet, and the petite _shinigami_ approached her with a blush covering his cheeks. "What are you doing here? How're Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Renji-kun, Ishida-kun and Sado-kun?"

"O-Oh, they're fine, don't worry." the leader of the 14th Relief Squad of the 4th division answered as he smiled timidly at the girl, who beamed at him in pure relief. "They've only suffered minor injuries, and Ishida-san has a concussion, but nothing that cannot be quickly healed."

"That's great." Orihime said, now in a lighter tone, and she followed Hanatarō's moves with her eyes as she watched him approach her side. "But you know; I don't really have anything. I'm fine."

"Yes, I know, but Captain Unohana requested for me to check on you." Hanatarō replied, and Orihime hummed in reply before she sat down on the floor again, the _shinigami_ mimicking her actions in silence. "This will only take a few minutes."

"Hanatarō-kun, do you know what's going to happen now?" Orihime inquired as the _shinigami_ observed her arms, but he simply glanced at her before shaking his head. "Hum, it's just that no matter how hard I try to understand what happened, I really can't explain it. Baigon, Hinagiku and Lily came out even before I had the time to process what was going on."

"Perhaps…" Hanatarō, started, but he trailed off and blushed when Orihime gazed at him in curiosity, "I-I mean, perhaps your wish to want to protect your friends forced your power to hum…I don't know, work without you actually doing something to cal it forth."

"Oh? I never thought about it like that before." Orihime mumbled before gazing at the closed door that Hanatarō had used to walk inside. "I just remember feeling a strong need to protect Kurosaki-kun, especially when Shinkai-san said that it was time for me to make a choice… I didn't really understand what was going on, but…"

"_Inoue!"_

At the sound of Rukia's voice, Orihime let out a gasp in surprise before watching as someone practically break the door in front of her. Before she could understand what was going on Rukia, Renji, Sado and Ichida stepped inside.

"What's going on?" Orihime asked as she slowly stood up from the floor, ignoring Hanatarō's weak request for her to stay still. "What are you all doing here? I-I thought that we… I thought that you weren't—"

"This was all a setup!" Rukia practically screamed on top of her lungs, and Orihime blinked at the _shinigami_'s out-burst before gazing at the rest of her friends.

"What she means, Inoue-san, is that this was all a scheme." Ishida clarified as he pushed his glasses up his nose, a thoughtful expression on his face, and Orihime entitled her head slightly to the side. "They thought about everything, and they made us believe that your trial was really going to happen."

"I'm sure you remember Captain Kurotsuchi." Renji proceeded, and Orihime nodded as she focused her attention on the _shinigami_, "Well, I don't know if you noticed it, but he pretty much disappeared when Hasu appeared."

Now that Renji mentioned it, Orihime could not help but agree with him. Captain Kurotsuchi had indeed disappeared without leaving a trace.

"That was Cloud's doing." Sado elaborated before stepping to his side, and Orihime blinked when her eyes fell on a tall man with a moustache and two-toned hair colour. He was wearing a gray top hat, a multi-coloured suit and tie.

"Ah! Cloud-san!" Orihime exclaimed before gazing to the two forms that were standing next to the tall man, and once again she blinked in realization. "Nova-san! Ririn-san! What are you three doing here?"

"Apparently, they were part of the plan." Rukia started, still trembling slightly in rage, "They really thought about everything, those damn bastards! They made a fool out of me! Ah! I want to hit something!"

"Oi, oi, Rukia, calm down." Renji said as he raised both his hands in front of his chest at same time he sweatdropped, "It's not as if we can do something about it now. All we can try to do is to figure out why all this was done behind our back."

"It is true that Inoue will not go to be judged," a voice started, and everyone watched as Toshiro walked inside the room along with Rangiku and Shuhei, "but it is also true that in Seireitei they needed to know if she was or not a traitor."

"But was this circus really necessary?" Rukia inquired as she turned to Toshiro, arms crossed against her chest as her eyebrows were furrowed in both exasperation and frustration. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Those who're closest to Orihime couldn't be informed about this, or things would not go accordingly to plan." Rangiku started as she stared at the petite _shinigami, _"Captain and I were only told about what was going on after Orihime was brought here. If Hasu hadn't been so hasty in doing everything all by herself, things probably would have not ended up like this."

"Ah, I…" Orihime started, rather nervously, and everyone gazed at her, "What does this all mean?"

"Well, the truth is that although she tried to do everything all by herself, you really should thank Hasu for what she did to you!" Shuhei explained, and Orihime gazed at him. "Even though there was no need to get into a fight with Kurosaki, it was thanks to that that everyone decided that you are free to return home."

Home…

"She's free to go?" Ishida asked as he turned to Shuhei, who glanced sideways at the Quincy before nodding, "Just like that? What happened for you to change your idea about Inoue-san? Kurosaki was the only one who did something, and even that wasn't bright enough."

"Do you not remember?" Shuhei inquired, and Ishida blinked, "When Inoue-san used her power to protect Kurosaki, her subconscious forced her power to enlarge to such an extent that it ended up protecting all of you as well."

_From where she stood, Orihime was forced to watch as Hasu grabbed her zanpakutō with her left hand while Ichigo raised his in order to protect his neck. She did not understand why, but when she noticed the way Hasu's zanpakutō was glowing, Orihime felt an intense need to save Ichigo._

_After all, he had gone to Seireitei to save her, and there was no way she was going to let him get hurt again because of her decisions._

_Before she could comprehend what was going on, Orihime felt warmth spreading throughout her body, from her toes to her head. Then, there were three beams of light escaping from her hairpins that went flying towards the spot where Ichigo was._

_All Orihime could remember after that was seeing a flash of dark blue, mixed with a golden shade, and then there was an explosion. When dust started to be carried away by a gentle breeze, Orihime managed to open her eyes again, and stare at what was in front of her._

_She really did not understand what was going on, but that did not matter. All she wanted was to know that Ichigo was alright!_

_"Kurosaki-kun!"_

_When she was finally able to see what was in front of her, Orihime felt her eyes widen in surprise. Her shield! For some reason Baigon, Hinagiku and Lily had increased their range, and were not only protecting Ichigo, but Rukia, Renji, Ishida and Sado as well._

_"Well done."  
_

_At those two words, Orihime gazed at Ichigo's back before moving her eyes to the side a little bit only to see Hasu standing a few feet away from the substitute shinigami. In her hands was a katana with a sapphire-blue hilt. _

Well done…

"Wait! Where's Shinkai-sensei?" Orihime asked as she recalled what had happened before she was sent to that room, "Where's Kurosaki-kun?"

"Ah, Ichigo, he…"

"Inoue." a voice interrupted Rukia, and Orihime felt her heart skip a beat as she watched Ichigo step inside the room, looking refreshed and more than ready to waste some energy.

Silently, Ichigo walked towards the orange haired girl, who instinctively clenched her right hand before pressing it against her chest. When they were only one step away from each other, Orihime stared at Ichigo right in the eye, and before she could stop herself, she felt the corner of her lips curling upwards.

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"Inoue," Ichigo repeated, and the girl felt happiness spring from the bottom of her soul as she watched the substitute _shinigami_ extend a hand towards her, a faint smile on his face, "Let's go home."

* * *

Thankfully no one had any problem in returning to normality as soon as they were back to the real world. As expected, Tatsuki had practically flown to Orihime's side as soon as the girl had stepped inside the classroom, and had promptly punched Chizuru on the face when the lesbian had tried to harass Orihime.

Tatsuki had also approached Ichigo before the beginning of classes to utter a simple yet meaningful "thank you".

Mizuro had treated them as always, and he did not even once asked where they had been during the past days. Keigo, however, had been a different matter not because he was worried about his friends' safety, but because he had heard that Shinkai Hasu was not to return to their school.

"I wonder what happened to her." Sado commented over lunch, but Rukia simply scoffed in reply while Ichigo let out a sigh. Ishida quickly pushed his glasses up his nose while Orihime took a deep breath.

"I wish she could return." she confessed, and everybody stared at her as if she was crazy. "I mean, I guess she was a bit dynamic and she did force us to do many things, especially in P.E. but now that I think about it, I think it would be nice to have her around."

"Dynamic, you say?" Ichigo repeated, and Orihime looked at him before nodding, "That's a word I certainly would never use when referring to Shinkai. She was wicked and infuriating."

"If we're having a vote, I'm with him." Rukia pointed out as she glanced at Ichigo before continuing to eat her sandwich. "I hope we'll never see her again, at least while we're here. The time she taught us in class was enough torture."

"I think that one hundred laps and one hundred push-ups may help you change your mind, don't you think?"

"Pff, you kidding? One hundred laps and one hundred push-ups would make me hate her even mo—" Rukia stopped talking immediately, and she nervously glanced to her side only to feel sweat running down her face when her eyes meet a pair of navy-blue ones.

"Ah! What are you doing here?" Ichigo inquired as he stood up from the floor, and pointed at the newcomer, who simply smirked at him. "Your mission is over! There's no reason for you to be here!"

"You really need some discipline, Kurosaki." Hasu observed, her arms folded against her chest, "Perhaps you should spend some time with my Captain." everyone shivered at that, "But if you must know, I'm not going to return, so before you start celebrating, allow me to inform you that the only reason why Inoue Orihime was considered a loyalist was simply because we have more important things to think of."

"Aizen," Ichigo practically spat, and Hasu nodded in silent agreement.

"So, although I shall not return to this school, we shall meet again." she continued before gazing at Orihime, "You must remember that weaklings will never accomplish anything."

With those words, Hasu turned around, and walked away.

"What on earth was that all about?" Ichigo inquired as he stared at the door Hasu had used to walk away before gazing at the rest of his friends, who simply shrugged in reply.

"That was a strange way of saying goodbye." a voice commented, and Hasu looked to her side as she finished climbing down the stairs. For a second, she just stared at the person that had spoken before turning her back to him, and continued walking. "Hey, why are you ignoring me?"

"Don't you have a bar to run?" Hasu asked back, and Shuhei increased his pace so that he was walking beside her in a matter of seconds.

"You know very well that Bleach Bar was closed as soon as our mission was completed." Shuhei pointed out, but Hasu simply continued looking ahead. "Listen, I have something to ask you."

"I don't have anything to tell you." Hasu replied in her emotionless tone, and Shuhei mentally sighed resignedly at her behaviour. "My Captain's requested for my presence, and I refuse to let him wait any longer."

"Hey, wait a second, will you?" Shuhei asked, and he swiftly grasped Hasu's arm, causing her to stop her tracks. "And will you look at me? Lately all I seem to do is stare and talk to your back."

"If you want to talk," Hasu started before turning her head to her side in order to stare at Shuhei in the eyes, "talk as we walk. Like I said, I have no time to lose."

"Why did you mention Captain Muguruma?"

Hasu, who had been about to start walking again, felt her body freeze at that question. For a long period of time, the two _shinigami_ just stood in the middle of the empty hallway of the school with Hasu staring at some random spot in front of her, while Shuhei stared at the side of her face.

"Why did you mention Captain Muguruma?"

"I heard you the first time." Hasu started, but that was the only thing she managed to utter because before she knew it, her back was resting against a wall while two hands were slammed on either side of her face. Despite of their position, Hasu stared at Shuhei with a blank expression on her face while he stared back at her with a mix of determination and annoyance.

"Don't make me repeat myself again, Hasu." Shuhei warned in a low tone, but the female _shinigami_ did not even blink. "Why did you mention Captain Muguruma's name that time? He had nothing to do with the topic."

"You're so clueless it's a surprise how you're working as a substitute of your Captain." Hasu pointed out, and Shuhei closed his hands into tight fists although they were still resting against the wall. "If you haven't figured it out by now, then I won't be the one who'll explain it."

"Are you calling me stupid?" Shuhei inquired, and Hasu silently took in the way he was lowering his head so that their lips were inches away. "Have you forgotten that I'm a Lieutenant and that you're a 4th seat?"

"Truth hurts."

"Careful Hasu, I'm not going to forget about Captain Muguruma just because you're trying to piss me off." Shuhei replied, but this time his voice came out strangely huskily, but Hasu kept her empty expression on her face, "Because if you don't tell me, I'll start thinking that you're enjoying this little game."

"You're the one who can't keep your pants on every time you see a supposedly good-looking girl." Hasu replied, and Shuhei lowered his arms as a reaction to that statement. "Don't bother me about stupid things when you can't even understand the most obvious answers."

Swiftly, Hasu stepped to her side, and started walking away. Before she could give the fifth step, however, a door being opened echoed through the hall before a hand pushed her to her side. In rage, Hasu felt the same hand push her to her side, and when she looked over her shoulder, ready to snap at Shuhei, she blinked.

He looked furious for some reason…

"What the hell do you want now, Hisagi?" Hasu inquired as she watched the male _shinigami_ close the door behind him, and she quickly understood that they were in an empty classroom. "I told you, my Captain is waiting."

"You know, Hasu, I tried to be rational." Shuhei started, obviously ignoring the woman's words. "I really did, but now I can't deal with it anymore. I'm too exhausted and too pissed off to even be reasonable!"

"Do you mind going to the point?"

"You think I haven't noticed the way you behave every time Matsumoto is around us?" Shuhei inquired, "I really tried to ignore your behaviour at the beginning, but after what you just said, I think I finally got it."

Hasu waited.

"We were talking about your love life when you mentioned Captain Muruguma." Shuhei continued, "And at the beginning I was truly confused, because I thought you had meant that you're in love with him. But how could that be? The first and only time we saw Captain Muruguma we were children, so it couldn't possibly be it."

"Do you mind telling me the purpose of this conversation?"

"It's me, isn't it?" Shuhei inquired so suddenly that Hasu blinked at his question, "That's the only reason why you've been behaving so weirdly lately, and it's the only plausible explanation to why you grow so tense every time Matsumoto joins us."

"Don't be so conceited."

"But that's it, isn't it?" Shuhei questioned as he gave one step forward, but Hasu kept standing on the same spot. "That's the only reason why you keep calling me stupid, and that's the only reason why you keep mentioning Matsumoto every time I start talking to you about anything love related."

"You really need to find a life." Hasu stated before making her way towards the door of the classroom, but when she was walking past Shuhei, she felt five fingers wrapping around her wrist again. "Let go off me before I make you."

"And Captain Muguruma…" Shuhei whispered, and Hasu closed her right hand into a fist when she felt his warm breath tickling her ear, "You mentioned him because of my tattoo, did you not? You wanted me to figure out that the one you like is not Captain Hitsugaya or Captain Ukitake, but me…"

"Stop being so full o—"

Suddenly, Shuhei gripped her sides, and whipped her around so that they were facing each other. Then, before Hasu could do something to stop him, Shuhei swiftly lowered his head, and captured her lips in a hungry and demanding kiss.

Shock ran down Hasu's spine, causing the woman to involuntarily wrap her arms around Shuhei's neck, pulling him closer while he continued to hold her sides with a strong grip. That was a kiss off command, hunger, desire… It was a kiss of need, passion and love…

…It was a kiss that broke all walls down…

Instinctively, the two _shinigami_ moved closer to each other, pressing their hips against one another as their kiss grew in intensity and craving. Unhurriedly, and still without breaking the kiss, Shuhei started walking, forcing Hasu to move her legs backwards until she hit a desk.

With a smirk, Shuhei started lowering his hands until they were resting on Hasu's thighs, and slowly he reached behind them, but before he could do something else, a small squeal broke their concentration.

"Oh my! You're doing _that_ in the school? I never thought you were so bold!"

"Matsumoto…" two voices growled, and the female Lieutenant looked from Hasu, who had growled her name, to her side, and laughed nervously.

"Ah, Captain, there's nothing going on in here. I just happened to stumble in two students that were…err…having some fun." Rangiku explained before gazing at both Shuhei and Hasu, and wink at them as she closed the door of the classroom again.

"Before you ask, I will never be like her." Hasu commented all of a sudden, and Shuhei looked away from the door to stare at her, "And don't you ever try to do what you just did again, or I'll be forced to castrate you."

"Oh really?" Shuhei inquired in a seductive tone, causing Hasu to raise an eyebrow slightly in suspicion, and he suddenly smirked at her. "Well, I guess it will be worth the risk."

And before Hasu could stop him, he pulled her into another kiss.

* * *

Icy tears were falling from the dark-grey heavens above. Their trail towards the ground was agonizingly unhurried, making all the white tears look as if they were dancing among each others in one final commemoration before succumbing to their destiny. Disappointingly their ballet was ignored by most people, who were too occupied trying to accomplish all chores written in their agendas to even observe the show that nature was giving to them.

But not all people were that insensitive. In fact, a pair of brown eyes was watching as the waltz of those ice-covered tears proceeded. A pair of arms was resting comfortably against a strong and broad chest while wind continued blowing outside.

Snowdrops... Yes, the snowflakes definitely reminded him of snowdrops, with their depressed white petals, tantalizing as snowflakes, striking as the whitish ballet he was witnessing.

There was definitely something in the snow that was magical. He remembered spending many afternoons in the park with his sisters, watching them making snowmen or participating in snowball wars. Occasionally he would help them out, but most of the times he would simply sit down on a bench, and watch Karin and Yuzu having fun.

The corner of his lips twitched into a faint smile as flashes of those afternoons crossed his mind, but he quickly shook his head. That was not the time to be thinking about that, especially after everything that had happened. It was time to take profit of the present, and not to lose time dwelling in the past.

"Wow, it looks as if snowdrops are falling from the sky!" a voice exclaimed out of the blue, and Ichigo tore his eyes away from the window to gaze at the person that was now standing next to him. There was a wide smile on her face, and for the first time, he was really glad for being capable of seeing such smile gracing her features.

It felt as if ages had passed ever since Inoue Orihime had been in such high spirits…

"Don't you think the snowflakes resemble to snowdrops, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Eh? Oh, hum…yeah, I guess so…" Ichigo replied, noticing that Orihime was staring at him. Had she noticed that he had been observing her? Well, if she had, she sure did not show any signs of being uncomfortable under his gaze. "I was actually thinking that."

"Really? I never thought Kurosaki-kun was the kind of guy who looks at snow, and sees flowers." at that observation, Ichigo blushed before he made a face, but when Orihime started giggling, he looked at her again. "That's really cute."

That giggle; heavens, he had not realized how much he had missed it until he heard it. Perhaps Hasu had been correct when she had approached him, while Captain Unohana treated his injuries.

_I'm leaving Inoue under your care. Hopefully, you've finally realized what she means to you._

To be honest, Ichigo had not understood what she had meant back then, but now that he was staring at Orihime's smile, and listening to her laugh, things looked different.

Things _felt_ different.

Ichigo was not certain of how much had things changed, but they had. Perhaps that was not the right time to mention those changes, but it was certainly the time for him to raise his hand again.

_"The blue light you saw before Inoue's defensive shield protected you from my attack," Hasu continued, and Unohana silently walked away, "represents knowledge, power, integrity and seriousness. I used the good luck of Rakugosha on you, but bear in mind that good luck isn't enough. You must act in order to be successful."_

"Oi, Inoue," Ichigo started as he extended his hand towards the girl, who glanced down at it before gazing confusedly at him, "I promise that next time I won't let anything happen to you. I will give my life if that means you'll be safe."

"And I promise I'll do my best to get stronger in order to help you." Orihime started in a soft tone as she unhurriedly raised a hand towards Ichigo's, "So that I may watch over your back while you watch over mine."

Smoothly, Orihime rested her hand on top of Ichigo's, and smiled at the boy when she felt him entwine their fingers together. What none of the two friends noticed were the eyes that were watching their every move from the door of the classroom.

**FIM**

Thank you so much for reading this!

_27/10/08_


	19. Information For The Readers

Hello everyone!

Although I am not entirely sure someone will actually read this message, I still decided to leave it here just in case.

When I finished Handprint in my Heart I informed the readers that there was going to be a sequel, entilted: _Lisianthus Hibiscus_. Well, the truth is that due to certain reasons I could not keep on writing that story, and ended up deleting it. Instead, I came up with The Roar of Chains, which has already been posted.

Since I wanted to add the most recent events of the manga in this new story, the time line between Handprint in my Heart and The Roar of Chains may not match, but you can still consider The Roar of Chains as a sequel.

I am very sorry for this abrupt change, but I still hope that those who give The Roar of Chains a try, end up enjoying it. The main pairing is Ichigo x Orihime, while Renji and Rukia will also have their own scenes. Shinkai Hasu, my Original Character, also makes part of the plot.

I hope that if you decide to read The Roar of Chains will enjoy it, and I promise I will do my best to not disappoint you with this story. I promise I will work hard to finish it, especially since I am enjoying writing it (a lot!).

So, once again, I am truly sorry for deleting _Lisianthus Hibiscus_ without any prior warning. I hope that those who were enjoying that story may forgive me. And as for those who decide to read The Roar of Chains, I can only cross my fingers, and hope you'll like it.

Thank you so much for your attention!

_**Maresia Eterna**_


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